


Season + Weather

by ejqz



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: 24 Solar Terms, Aged-Up Character(s), Established Relationship, F/M, Farmer Kita Shinsuke, Fluff, Haikyuu!! Manga Spoilers, Light Angst, Nature, Reader-Insert, Rice Farming and Agriculture knowledge, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:07:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 22,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28333593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ejqz/pseuds/ejqz
Summary: The 24 Solar Terms divide the year into twenty-four parts in accordance with the position of the sun. It adjusts the difference between the luni-solar calendar and the agrarian seasonal and weather cycles.Kita Shinsuke adored his grandmother. When she suffered health complications, Kita knew it was time to leave both Osaka and you to return to the countryside.  After the winter chill comes the bearing of spring. Then comes the summer of cicadas, and finally the fields of neverending gold.
Relationships: Kita Shinsuke & Inarizaki Volleyball Club, Kita Shinsuke & Kita Shinsuke's Grandmother, Kita Shinsuke/Reader
Comments: 75
Kudos: 136





	1. Beginning of Winter 立冬 Rittou

**Author's Note:**

> So excited to write out this Kita fic. Truly, he has such a special place in my heart and immediately captured me. This is just a more aesthetics than plot love poem to Kita and the beauties of the 24 solar terms and the most beloved rice crop.  
> Also cross-posted on my tumblr @haikyooot
> 
> *If you're from Life's a Hoot (LIAH), do not fret, that baby is not being abandoned! 😊

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter 冬 Fuyu  
> 11/06-11/21

Kita Shinsuke stood wordlessly in front of his boss. The necktie and collar felt tight and restricting. He made a decision with no back-up plan, but it was a decision he knew he had to make and would not regret. **  
**

“Kita, I don’t understand,” his boss puzzled, looking at the white envelope on the desk. The characters _Resignation Letter_ were written neatly down the middle. The elders often said that one’s handwriting would reflect the strength of one’s character. Kita’s handwriting was both delicate and resolute, like the finest blade sharpened to a point. 

“Thank you for taking care of me the past years. I have some personal family matters that I must tend to. I apologize for the inconvenience.” He bowed. Manners and conduct were second nature for Kita. They were repeated over and over again until they were no longer a habit, they were all simply Kita.

“There’s no going back, not even I can help you after I turn this in.” His boss rubbed his stubbly chin. “How about you take this letter back and think about it some more? You are a young man with a bright future Kita. Your credentials are impressive and you’ve done excellent work for the firm. Is this about your pay? That’s something we can negotiate.” 

“No, none of those,” Kita answered before bowing once more. “It’s as I said, ‘I have some personal family matters that I must tend to.’” 

Kita’s boss clicked his tongue and shook his head. “I’ll turn the letter into HR. They will contact you regarding the exit process.” 

“Thank you for everything.” 

The boss sighed, “I’m afraid I won’t understand why you’ve made such a decision Kita. But I wish you the very best. You’ve been the most outstanding I’ve seen.”

“Thank you, please take care.” Kita bowed for the final time and left the room. There were still many things to do before leaving Osaka. He did not have many physical belongings to move. The complex paperwork and fees were all the least of his concerns. Something else weighed on his mind. 

> **_Kogarashi is a cold wind  
>  _ ** **_A deep chill running from the North  
>  _ ** **_Announcing the arrival of Winter_ **

“Shinsuke, what do you mean?” You asked. You searched his features for hints of humor. Was this just a joke? 

“I left my position,” Kita repeated. “I’m going back to the countryside.”

“Is it Granny? Did something happen to her?” 

“Yea, I need to take care of her.” Kita looked down at his cup of tea. “So…this will be good-bye, for us.” 

You bit your lips and took a deep breath. “Are you breaking up with me?” 

“It’s the best for both of us.” Kita began to reason out all the reasons for this arrangement. How this arrangement of no more arrangements, was the best option. “You got your teaching position not too long ago, so you have to stay here. I have too many priorities to deal with at the moment. And-” 

“Just stop Shinsuke…I understand.” You put up a hand to stop him from continuing. During your time with him, you saw many sides of Kita. However none of those facets of his ever fully steered away from his foundation in rational and sharp thinking. The way he analyzed the situation as if it were a math problem of one plus one must equal two sliced into your heart. It hurt. Badly. “I wish Granny a smooth recovery and um...I have some stuff to do, so I’ll be going now…” 

Kita watched you grab your stuff and briskly walk out of the cafe. He doesn’t budge from his seat nor touch his drink. You lived by your emotions and whims. Risk-loving some days, highly conservative on others. There were few days where the decisions you made were solely based on neutral rationality. But who was he to say anything when he was the one making this rash decision too? 

Kita sat there for a long time, looking at the empty seat where you’ve last sat. His drink has long turned cold and everyone else in the cafe who were there when he had initially arrived already left. 

“Excuse me, sir. Is there anything else we can get for you? ” a waiter asked him politely.

He must have overstayed his welcome at this shop. Kita thanked the waiter, grabbed his briefcase and walked out. The leaves on the trees were pathetic and dead. Of the ones that remained, they were only barely hanging on. Anyone who walked quickly enough past the branch would be able to blow the shriveled up foliage away. 

Kita knew that he had hurt you. Every time you thought he was out of reasons for breaking up, he gave ten more. It really begged the question, who was he trying to convince? You or himself? In any case, Kita had to focus his energies on two things. Granny and the farm. You were neither of the two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • [Resignation letter ( 退職届 ) and process in Japan.](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fsavvytokyo.com%2Fhow-to-quit-job-japan%2F&t=YTEwZTEzMGUzOTRhZGQ2NGY0NTM1ZWRjZjBlMDFmZGFiOTRlNzM3MSwyaWhaSDBlTg%3D%3D&b=t%3AcQRIKfNsnDmnaqhtyfDRow&p=https%3A%2F%2Fhaikyooot.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F638428117231337473%2Fseason-weather-01-kita-shinsuke&m=0&ts=1608963925)  
> • [Kogarashi ( 木枯らし) ](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.japantimes.co.jp%2Fnews%2F1999%2F11%2F16%2Fnational%2Ffirst-kogarashi-wind-arrives%2F&t=MmY2NmRkMzBmZjBhY2ViZGRiOTQxZmZiYTdlYjYwNjM1YTBhMWYyMiwyaWhaSDBlTg%3D%3D&b=t%3AcQRIKfNsnDmnaqhtyfDRow&p=https%3A%2F%2Fhaikyooot.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F638428117231337473%2Fseason-weather-01-kita-shinsuke&m=0&ts=1608963925)are strong cold winds blown around late autumn to early winter.   
> • The contemporary classification by the [Japan Meteorological Agency ](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jma.go.jp%2Fjma%2Fkids%2Ffaq%2Fa3_31.html&t=MGJmNTkxMzQ2YjkyNGIwZTMyYWM4MmQwN2VhMzU3MzhhZWZlZGM4OSwyaWhaSDBlTg%3D%3D&b=t%3AcQRIKfNsnDmnaqhtyfDRow&p=https%3A%2F%2Fhaikyooot.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F638428117231337473%2Fseason-weather-01-kita-shinsuke&m=0&ts=1608963925)specifies it as a wind blow from the north with at least 28.8 kph and the air pressure pattern follows the Winter pattern (high-pressure in west, low-pressure in east)  
> • The “ko” (木) of “kogarashi” means “tree,” and the “garashi” (枯らし) means “to wither.” So, the wind is literally a “tree-witherer”  
> • [Matsuo Basho](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMatsuo_Bash%25C5%258D&t=N2Q5OWNhYTUyN2QwZTEyZGI2ODRkYWJjNDEyN2IzMTM2MDk0MGRmMSwyaWhaSDBlTg%3D%3D&b=t%3AcQRIKfNsnDmnaqhtyfDRow&p=https%3A%2F%2Fhaikyooot.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F638428117231337473%2Fseason-weather-01-kita-shinsuke&m=0&ts=1608963925), wrote a [poem](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fmatsuobashohaiku.home.blog%2F2020%2F10%2F23%2Fwintry-wind-kogarashi%2F&t=YTg2YmY1ZTE5NGI0YWQ5OTFjOWQwNGVlODMyNGUyZDc2MzM5Yzg4OCwyaWhaSDBlTg%3D%3D&b=t%3AcQRIKfNsnDmnaqhtyfDRow&p=https%3A%2F%2Fhaikyooot.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F638428117231337473%2Fseason-weather-01-kita-shinsuke&m=0&ts=1608963925) regarding the Kogarashi wind and coming of winter.


	2. Light Snow 小雪 Shousetsu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter 冬 Fuyu  
> 11/22 - 12/06

The Hyogo countryside was exactly how Kita remembered it. Time here passed much slower than in the city. The farmlands were partitioned in very much the same way as the last time he was back. However, the ever slowly abandonment of the farmlands could not be unnoticed either. The sign that used to point towards a path up the mountain was now a rotting piece of wood. Some of the farmlands could no longer be farmlands after the weeds took hold. Far into the mountain, the forgotten shell of a wooden house remained empty. Luckily, the community Kita returned to was still thriving.

Kita believed that the city still tried to move faster than time. At least here, despite the changes that have happened, everything happened when it was meant to be. He could see the seasonal changes happening, even without having been back for very long yet. Every day grew colder than the next, but at the same time, not quite.

This time of the year was characterized by the oddities of Weather. Weather and Season don’t always seem to agree. Season would follow the natural order of things. Season was how things ought to be. Weather was something that had its own agenda. Weather was, despite the laws put in place, how things actually are. That’s why there are days in Winter that feel like late Spring. Weather was mischievous in that way and often, some of the honest trees would bloom their flowers, fooled by the warmth. And then, before the buds could fully open, Weather would laugh with a chilly gust and say, “Fooled you! Did you forget it’s Winter?” 

Kita plucked a frostbitten cherry blossom bud from a branch. The tree was fooled by Weather and tried to bloom its flowers. You would have sympathized with the bud, lamenting its short-lived life at the wrong time of year. You would have sighed how even bloomed flowers at the right time were not meant for long to begin with. This one was even more doomed. But Kita would not liken you to the flower. You were more like the tree. Occasionally fooled, yes, but you would persist. Year after year, you would persevere and bloom again. You’ll be fine. And he…Well, Kita would believe himself to be that errored blossom. A mistake to be forgotten.

In truth, both you and Kita were more than the tree and its flowers. You were more like the Weather. He was like the Season. The Weather could only fool around because there was the Season in the background. Without Season, Weather would just be pieces of hot and cold stitched together with no order. You missed the hot tea Kita would make you when you worked late into the night. Missed giving him shoulder massages and telling him he didn’t have to work so hard. Missed his encouragement, the smell of his hair, the warmth of his skin. At the end of the day, no matter how much Weather ran amuck, Weather would return to follow the Season. Season, all the same, could only be a Season when Weather was around. Without Weather, Season would cease to exist.

> _**The energy of heaven ascends  
>  ** **The energy of earth descends  
>  ** **Hot and Cold yield uncertainty** _

“You’ve got to talk to her,” Aran insisted on the other end of the phone. “If you don’t say something, I will. I don’t care if I’m being nosy anymore.” 

“Don’t,” Kita sighed. It was a lie. He missed you severely. When he came face-to-face with the barren land, Kita realized how scary emptiness was. The land stretched further than his eyes could ever see. Like an endless void. How he wished you were right here with him. 

“If you talk, then I won’t. If you don’t let me, I’ll have the twins do it. And she doesn’t even know them.”

Kita rubbed his temples. The twins. “I’ll think about it. I have to go, it’s time for Granny’s medication.” 

“Please send my regards to her, Kita. I’ll see if I’m able to visit sometime.” 

Kita smiled. Aran has always been one of his closest. And most supportive. “Thank you. I’ll pass it on. And you’re welcomed anytime.” 

Kita went to the kitchen to prepare Granny’s tonic and medication. The damp air at this time seeped through the cracks of the house and into the crevices of the bones. Granny’s joints would feel especially painful during this sort of weather. It would only get worse as the days become shorter and harsher. Her room was on the ground floor too. Kita thought about switching his room with hers. It was bigger and warmer, but going up the stairs would be another challenge altogether. He’ll have to double-check the heating system.

This was all completely new. Kita had little knowledge on the new needs of his ailing grandmother. Her condition, her medication, her rehabilitation…it was all so suddenly thrust upon him. On top of that, Kita also had little preparation to take on this stretch of land. The barren fields, emptiness, and unplowed opportunities…Could he produce a successful harvest? This was a test he found himself facing. Forget detailed studying, he didn’t have time to cram either. 

Kita found comfort in ritual. His body knew when to wake up each morning. He knew how the hours of the day would go by and what awaits him. He woke up assured that what he needed to do were all things he actually could do. Kita knew exactly how to coax you out of bed when you slept in. How to remove your makeup when your laziness and sleepiness teamed up. Exactly which snacks you would pick out and eat first.

Ripping his ritual out of his life was the equivalent of taking a drug from an addict. Difficult, painful, insufferable. And ultimately, this time Kita had no confidence in anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • The phenomena of a “false spring/summer” mentioned here is called an [“Indian Summer” ](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.almanac.com%2Fcontent%2Findian-summer-what-why-and-when&t=YjgwYTY2OWU5YWY1NWRmMTFkOGY3Yzk0MTcxYTEwYWRmY2JhZmU4YSw2U0RUajdWcQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AcQRIKfNsnDmnaqhtyfDRow&p=https%3A%2F%2Fhaikyooot.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F638454095088336896%2Fseason-weather-02-kita-shinsuke&m=0&ts=1608963448)in [North America](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.weather.gov%2Fdtx%2Findiansummer&t=NDI1ZjhhN2U3M2NiNGVhZDI5NmU1NDg4MWFhOWNlMzI1YTdlOGE2ZSw2U0RUajdWcQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AcQRIKfNsnDmnaqhtyfDRow&p=https%3A%2F%2Fhaikyooot.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F638454095088336896%2Fseason-weather-02-kita-shinsuke&m=0&ts=1608963448). Unfortunately, I could not find an alternative name :(  
> • I grew up hearing it called “Autumn Tiger” (秋老虎). It could happen from September to late November depending on the geographic regions.  
> • Characteristics: Unusually warm, clear chilly nights, no wind. High air pressure. Warm days followed by a cold spell, but before the first snowfall.


	3. Heavy Snow 大雪 Taisetsu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter 冬 Fuyu   
> 12/07-12/20

Every day the temperature seemed to drop a bit more. There were no more pranks from Weather suddenly throwing an oddball. It felt like Weather gave up and left the reins for everything to fall to their own demise altogether. 

This time of the year, the grey landscape was occasionally dotted with strands of bright red and orange. For some households, clusters of persimmons hung from the beams. The oblong lanterns were peeled and tied up one after another on a cotton rope, then allowed to slowly shrivel in the cold. By the new year, they would be ready. Meanwhile, its rounder, sweeter sibling, was made for immediate consumption. Kita brought a plate of persimmons to his grandmother.

“Shinsuke,” Granny took Kita’s hand in her own. “Everything needs rest. You, me, and the land. You may think that the barren fields are just emptiness, but they are not. After a busy season of giving, it’s time for respite. It seems like nothing is going on, but there amongst the flocks of ducks and geese, the land is healing.” 

“I know that Granny. But the land can rest while I cannot. The funding for the seeds, the irrigation canals, the equipment-”

“The farmer and land are one together. Do not rush, the seasons will follow the natural way. It is not the farmer that grows the crops. It is the water, sun, and soil.” 

Kita fell silent. Next to his grandmother, despite being over a head taller, Kita would always feel like a little boy. The same little boy who followed his Granny into the fields chasing after the ducks. The one who fell asleep on her back on the way home. 

“Call her, talk to her. Did you do what Aran told you to do?” 

So she heard.

“Even if I do, what could I say? I hurt her, Granny.” 

“You did, and you hurt yourself too.” 

> **_The land needs rest  
>  _ ** **_The body, nourishment  
>  _ ** **_A winter not cold enough won’t bring spring_ **

Kita stepped onto the balcony of his room and looked at the sky. A glowing band circled the full moon that shone like a pearl. A lunar halo. He hadn’t seen this phenomena in a while. It wasn’t that it didn’t happen, it was more like Kita wasn’t in the position to observe the ring in the city. No one would stop their footsteps on the busy street simply to admire the moon and its mysteries. 

A lunar halo meant unsettling weather. It was a precursor for rain and snow. His grandmother had pointed the rings out to him in the sky. How odd was it that unpredictable weather actually had its signs laid out there in the open. If someone were observant enough, wise enough, careful enough, perhaps they’d be able to read the signs of the universe. No uncertainty would befall them as there would be no surprises or coincidences. 

Kita craved this assurance. A sign that he was doing the right thing in the proper way. He hoped to at least be proficient in the language of the natural world. He knew he would never be like how animals would sense a quake before it hits, or how flowers knew when to bloom. Nevertheless, Kita needed a sign.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • There are many persimmon varieties, the one mentioned is [Diospyros Kaki](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FDiospyros_kaki&t=NmJhMjJhZGU0ZjNjODczZTdlZmQ2MDczODA5ZWU4N2Q0OWYzZmMwZCxlNmRiMDBhNzQ2YjA2N2Q1MmE2YmQyMmU2MGRlMzRlODZlMzgxYmVh&ts=1608888126). There are two common types: astringent (oblong shape) and sweet (flat & round).  
> • The astringent ones are hung up to dry ([hoshigaki](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FDried_persimmon&t=ZDA1YmU0ZDE3N2Y2ZDQ0ZTA5NGNlZDYyMTJmOTJiMjc4ZGI1NTk5MSwxNDM5YzVmYjc0MTBjNWNjYWJmYmUyYTk4ODE1ZGZjZjYxYjIxYWQw&ts=1608888126)). Link has some beautiful photos of what it looks like. When peeled/dried, a substance called acetaldehyde forms and binds with the tannin in the fruit (alone, tannin causes bitter taste). Drying the fruit also condenses the sugars, making it sweeter.  
> • [Lunar Halo](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2F22%25C2%25B0_halo&t=Mjg3MWZlNTNiOWFmZWNlOTVjMmNhOTFjNTgwMzg3MzYyNGM1NGJkNyw3YTMxMGUzMWM1MGI4MTFhODY5Mjk0MjYxNjUzNzMzYjc0Y2U3OTM2&ts=1608888126) aka 22° halo, is one of the optical phenomena of [ice-crystal halos](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FHalo_%28optical_phenomenon%29&t=YWFlYjUzY2E5ZDdhYjIxYjMwNzE1NDVlMzgwZjQyNGVhYmQyODYwZSxkZGEyYjEwYWM4ZGFkMjViZDVmNDNlNThlZmVjNmI5MjVmNmYyMjFm&ts=1608888126) that can happen around the sun or moon. It’s called 22° because that’s the approx. angle from the center to the edge of the ring. Observer is like the vertex, if that makes sense.  
> • Light is refracted from the millions of hexagonal ice crystals in the the atmosphere. Happens quite often in winter, so keep an eye out!  
> • Association with erratic weather is due to presence of thin cirrus clouds, which often leads to storms, but not always.


	4. Winter Solstice 冬至 Touji

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter 冬 Fuyu  
> 12/21-01/04

The Solstice marked the shortest days and the longest nights. The lunar halo also brought a storm. The temperature plummeted and snow fell in heaps from the sky. Not as much as the north, but snow fell nonetheless. The eve before the new year, Omisoka, Kita and his grandmother had toshikoshi soba. One bite was all that was needed to forget the hardship of this ending year. He could try, but he’ll never be able to forget you. **  
**

After dinner, Kita sat with his grandmother under the warm kotatsu, peeling mandarin oranges and drinking tea, waiting for midnight. Granny insisted on staying up and knitting despite her worsening eyesight. Kita poured over the stacks of paper detailing contracts and budgets for the upcoming planting season. Suddenly, the knocking at the door broke the silence.

It was you. Melted snow covered your beanie and parka. The boots you wore looked damp. And in your arms was a crate of kabochas. 

“Shinsuke, who is it,” Granny called out. 

Kita gestured for you to enter, still stunned by your appearance. How did you even find this place? “Come in, it’s cold outside.” 

You dusted yourself off and stepped into the heated house. The temperature change sent a shiver down your spine. Kita took the crate from you with ease and set it aside. 

You soon found yourself situated at the kotatsu in front of Kita’s grandmother. The old woman kept a perpetual smile on her face as she poured you a cup of tea and handed you a peeled mandarin orange. The barley tea was smokey, rich, and warm. 

“I um had some time,” you began. “Just wanted to come check on you, Shinsuke, and Granny. Sorry to intrude.” 

Granny began to laugh. The wrinkles around her eyes grew deeper. 

“I saw a vendor selling kabocha on the way here!” You explained, then quietly tacked on, “I brought some over for you.” 

“The winter is cold, kabocha is great nourishment for the body. Thank you my dear. It’s a long way here from Osaka.” She patted Kita’s hand and slowly hobbled up. Kita stood up to help guide the old woman, but she waved his hand away. “Go catch up with her Shinsuke, I’ll be fine.” 

Granny left the two of you in the living room. No amount of heating could exceed the nervousness pounding in your throat. Your heart raced faster than the winds outside. Kita hadn’t said very much. Was he happy? Upset? Surprised? 

“You look well,” you observed, finally breaking the silence. You couldn’t take it anymore. “Is Granny in better health?” 

“Yea, she’s doing a little better now, but the winter is still quite harsh.” 

You nodded. Winter was a difficult season for the elderly and vulnerable. The frost and chill were unforgiving. Warmth seemed so far away.

“Well then, I see both of you are well,” you stood up. “I’ll be going now.” 

When you just got here? All those hours just for these few minutes? Before you could go to the front door, Kita stopped you by your arm.

“How are you going back?” How did you even get here?

You pointed at the direction of the road. “I’ll err walk to the bus station? If I hurry, I think I can catch the last one.” 

It was absolutely pitch black outside the window and the snowfall was even harsher. The wind howled against the house.

“Just stay here tonight,” Kita suggested. You were crazy to think leaving now was a good idea. “You can leave in the morning if you wish, I’ll drive you to the station.”

“You heard Shinsuke,” Granny’s voice rang down the hall. “I got the room ready for you already. Some clothes too, don’t have to worry about anything.”

A quiet giggle escaped your lips. A glint of mirth in your eyes. “In that case, thank you for your hospitality Shinsuke and Granny~” 

Kita snorted when he heard the tone of your voice. You haven’t changed. _Leaving_ was just a means of staying. You most likely came with the intention of staying the night. But what made you take this gamble? Didn’t you run out the door, weren’t you mad at him at all? Shouldn’t you loathe him by now? For leaving you and your feelings behind by only considering his own? 

“I haven’t forgiven you yet,” you whispered, answering his thoughts. “It still hurts you know. But I don’t want us to be over. Aran sent me here. He told me you didn’t either.” 

Aran. Of course he would.

“Let’s sit down to talk,” Kita gestured to the kotatsu. 

You took a seat while Kita went to heat up the tea. The tea Kita brewed was always careful and precise. Never lacking or excessive in taste. You missed it. 

After watching you finish half a cup, Kita apologized. “I’m sorry.”

“Yea, you should be,” you huffed. “I’m not letting you stupidly ruin us Shinsuke. Only one of us can be stupid at a time…this time it’s you.” 

You downed another gulp of tea before continuing. “S-stupid Shinsuke, why did you think you could make decisions that concern the both of us? Without talking it out with me first? And. And do you know how heavy that crate was?” 

“I’m sorry,” Kita apologized again. The moment he saw your figure in the doorframe, he knew, he had underestimated you. And overestimated himself.

Kita automatically reached over to knead the muscles on your arm. You let him do so.

“I decided to leave my job too you know,” you said quietly. “I learn from the best.”

You were jabbing at him, but why did you leave your job. The semester didn’t end until March next year. 

“I’m transferring for the third semester. I got lucky.” 

So that’s why. Kita congratulated you. “I’m sure it’s a great school.” 

“It is,” you smirked and leaned forward. “Have you heard of Inarizaki High?” 

Inarizaki. Suddenly Kita was reminded of his teachers, classmates, and volleyball. Aran. Suna. Omimi. The twins, of course. Atsumu and Osamu. Kita began to laugh.

“Is that so.” He should’ve known you would do something like that.

He finally laughed. 

“Close to you, I know. That’s why I decided to go there.” 

Kita was grateful this moment. He won’t make the same mistake twice. This was his second chance. You made a move. He’ll close the gap. “Move in with us then. Stay with me.”

You looked at your nails. “It’s far from the school, my legs will break.” 

“I walked to school every day, I was fine.” Kita answered. You looked uninterested. Kita chose his words carefully. “I’ll drop you off in the mornings.” 

“What about rent?” you asked. “I won’t make much at first since I’m still an assistant. I can only help with the fields.” 

Kita felt a sense of relief. He could tease you now. “But you’re scared of bugs.” 

“Fair. I can do the cooking,” you suggested. 

“Do I need to remind you of your kitchen?” 

“I could help clean?” 

“We don’t have a washing machine or a vacuum cleaner. And there’s the shoji screens.” 

You looked endearingly unamused. “Okay, guess I’m useless then.” 

Kita leaned over the kotatsu, meeting your gaze in the middle. “Just keep us company. Truly, I missed you.” 

“Guess I’ll sit there and look pretty then.”

You leaned in some more and captured his lips with yours.

> **_Past the death of the sun  
>  _ ** **_Comes a rebirth  
>  _ ** **_Reversing dark nights to bright mornings_ **

The next day was Shogatsu, the New Year. All debts from the previous year were paid off. All corners were swept clean. You accompanied Kita and Granny to the local shrine. Kita helped his grandmother on the left. You took the elder’s arm on her right. 

You thought that Granny was only made up of sweetness, but last night both you and Kita realized she had hidden cards up her sleeve. Of course, despite another room upstairs, Granny decided to lay out another futon in Kita’s room instead. Right next to his…to your delight. It wasn’t anything that Kita minded either

Everyone at the shrine tossed a coin, shook the temple bell, and prayed. For health, wealth, prosperity. Kita did not ask the gods for anything. He told them to just watch and bless. He’ll do the work. But Kita did pray for things out of his control. He had much to ask for when it came to his grandmother’s health and your wellbeing. Kita did not pray for the harvest. It wasn’t time yet. Whatever it was that Granny prayed for, it seemed that she was in especially good spirits. The fortune slip she obtained read “Great Blessing”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • [Ōmisoka (大晦日)](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2F%25C5%258Cmisoka&t=Y2Q4NWIwOTY2MDQ3ZDc0M2NmYjJiOWU3YWJhZTA4NGUzYjhmYmY3ZSw4NmVuVExpVA%3D%3D&b=t%3AcQRIKfNsnDmnaqhtyfDRow&p=https%3A%2F%2Fhaikyooot.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F638510846331453440%2Fseason-weather-04-kita-shinsuke&m=0&ts=1608963698) is New Year’s Eve. Since Meiji Era around 1837, Japan switched from the lunar calendar to Gregorian calendar. Hence, New Year’s Eve became December 31.  
> • [Toshikoshi Soba(年越し蕎麦)](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kurashi-no-hotorisya.jp%2Fblog%2F4seasons-things%2Fseasonal-food%2Fmikan.html&t=MTc3NGVhNDEzZjlhMWJjYWI2Y2EwZTI4MjgyN2U3MWYwMjNiYzZiZSw4NmVuVExpVA%3D%3D&b=t%3AcQRIKfNsnDmnaqhtyfDRow&p=https%3A%2F%2Fhaikyooot.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F638510846331453440%2Fseason-weather-04-kita-shinsuke&m=0&ts=1608963698) is a special type of soba dish eaten on New Year’s Eve  
> • [Mandarin Oranges ](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kurashi-no-hotorisya.jp%2Fblog%2F4seasons-things%2Fseasonal-food%2Fmikan.html&t=MTc3NGVhNDEzZjlhMWJjYWI2Y2EwZTI4MjgyN2U3MWYwMjNiYzZiZSw4NmVuVExpVA%3D%3D&b=t%3AcQRIKfNsnDmnaqhtyfDRow&p=https%3A%2F%2Fhaikyooot.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F638510846331453440%2Fseason-weather-04-kita-shinsuke&m=0&ts=1608963698)are also popularly eaten at this time, especially after dinner, just chilling around  
> • [Kotatsu( 炬燵 )](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FKotatsu&t=ZmE0ZTk1MzJlY2ZhNTgzMzFiOTNlYmIwNzM5OTBhZjhhZDFiZGEwMCw4NmVuVExpVA%3D%3D&b=t%3AcQRIKfNsnDmnaqhtyfDRow&p=https%3A%2F%2Fhaikyooot.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F638510846331453440%2Fseason-weather-04-kita-shinsuke&m=0&ts=1608963698), are low “coffee” tables with a heating unit underneath the surface and has a blanket extending outwards. 12/10 need this for my homebody self.  
> • Winter is seen as a time to nourish and “boost the immune system”. Common foods eaten during this time are: kabocha pumpkins, carrots, lotus root, gingko, kumquat, agar, udon. Daikon is usually harvested in winter and popular too.  
> • The night of the [Winter Solstice](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FWinter_solstice&t=MzRiZjkwMjQ4ZGQ1YTQ4MTZlNDc0OGU0MWY4NTA1NTVjODE0ZTNjOCw4NmVuVExpVA%3D%3D&b=t%3AcQRIKfNsnDmnaqhtyfDRow&p=https%3A%2F%2Fhaikyooot.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F638510846331453440%2Fseason-weather-04-kita-shinsuke&m=0&ts=1608963698) “day” is the longest. After that point, as if the sun ‘rebirthed’, the days will start to get longer and nights get shorter.  
> • Japanese schools typically go by 3 semester systems. Apr-Jun, Sept-Dec, Jan-Mar  
> • [Shogatsu (正月)](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FJapanese_New_Year&t=NTNlODYxNWNhNjNkNzZmN2Q1Zjg0OGNlM2NhZjlmNTg2ZGRjYjZkMiw4NmVuVExpVA%3D%3D&b=t%3AcQRIKfNsnDmnaqhtyfDRow&p=https%3A%2F%2Fhaikyooot.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F638510846331453440%2Fseason-weather-04-kita-shinsuke&m=0&ts=1608963698), New Year’s Day. Temple visits are huge. (We saw the Karasuno third years visiting the temple before Nationals). Other traditions are not mentioned, but the link has more info.  
> • The fortune slip is called [o-mikuji ](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FO-mikuji&t=ZTQxNzVjMTQ3MDlkNGU3NjUzMzFiZGY4ZDk2ZjRlNzZlZmJlNTc0ZCw4NmVuVExpVA%3D%3D&b=t%3AcQRIKfNsnDmnaqhtyfDRow&p=https%3A%2F%2Fhaikyooot.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F638510846331453440%2Fseason-weather-04-kita-shinsuke&m=0&ts=1608963698)(御御籤, 御神籤, or おみくじ). Obtained at the Buddhist or Shinto temples, there are different “levels of blessing” from Great Blessing to Great Curse. And categories for like fertility, marriage, health, etc.


	5. Lesser Cold 小寒 Shoukan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter 冬 Fuyu  
> 01/05-01/19

It would be a mistake to assume that the previous seasons of Light Snow and Heavy Snow focused on cold. Rather, cold comes the frosty energy released from melting snow. And additionally, Lesser Cold meant a greater one was coming.

On the ninth day of this season, it rained from morning to night with no end. The sky was careful and did not flood the earth. This rain was a constant speckle that pattered the ground. For the wheat farmers, this meant water for their crops. It also meant that the upcoming Spring would not be lacking in rain. For the other farmers, rain meant the next wave of Cold would be deep and frigid. A deep cold would strengthen the wheat. And a cold winter will bring Spring.

Kita followed the farmers in procession to the temple. It was the Small New Year, Koshogatsu. The first full moon of the new year and the day to begin prayers for the new farming season. Around this time a few years back, Kita remembered it was right after the end of his last volleyball tournament…after Inarizaki lost and around the time he finished his university exams.

As a young boy, Kita followed his grandmother through this ritual when she would come pray for the harvest. Although the visuals or the sounds of that memory felt distant, his body remembered the sensation of completion and fullness upon prayer. Kita didn’t do things because he thinks the gods are watching. The prayers are not an excuse for him to slack, but when it concerns the ways of the natural world, Kita had no influence. So, like the other farmers, Kita turned to the source that might. 

Kita prayed for the vitality of the soil, for the clarity of the water, and for the energy of the sun. It was the marriage of these three that would grow the crops. He would only be a witness to the workings of nature. He also wanted to see you there amongst the waves of gold. Kita believed your smile would be the brightest.

> **_Clear day on the fourth  
> _ ** **_Rainy on the ninth  
> _ ** **_The Weather determines the next Season_ **

Kita was at the station waiting long before your arrival time. You were about to start as the teacher assistant for a current instructor at Inarizaki High. And all your belongings, your whole life, were packed into boxes. You must have started on the transfer process the moment you left the coffee shop, otherwise how was it possible? It was nothing short of a miracle. It still surprised him and he couldn’t deny how relieved he felt. You’ll be under the same roof and sky as him again. This time, Kita won’t let go so easily.

“How was your trip,” Kita asked, taking your luggage.

“Too long,” you replied, buckling the seatbelt. “How’s Granny?”

Kita took hold of the steering wheels and left the station. “Could be better. I hope it’ll be warmer soon for her. But the Greater Cold is around the corner.”

The surroundings looked unfamiliar. As Kita drove, you saw more and more vegetation and fewer houses. You passed by groves of mandarin trees. Past a bridge, over five streams.

“Where are we going?”

Kita smiled. “Look in the glove box.”

You opened the compartment in front of you and saw a new pair of gardener gloves in your favorite color. 

“Putting me to work already?”

Kita laughed. “Not now, but soon.”

Kita pulled up off to the side. To the left and right of the road was the largest stretch of earth you’ve seen. Old mud piled in their rectangle partitions. You swore you saw something move and shifted closer to Kita.

“So, this is it,” you marveled at the expanse.

Kita nodded, “this is it.”

So, this was what it felt like to look at this sight with you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • [Koshogatsu (小正月)](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fjapanese-wiki-corpus.github.io%2Fculture%2FKoshogatsu.html&t=OTAyOWIyMzcwNjhkMjk4YzQzOTJmODQxMTQyODJkZWYzZDhmNTkzZCxMb05VWHJQZg%3D%3D&b=t%3AcQRIKfNsnDmnaqhtyfDRow&p=https%3A%2F%2Fhaikyooot.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F638639248858398720%2Fseason-weather-05-kita-shinsuke&m=0&ts=1609110903) is the first full moon of the New Year (15th of the first month by lunar calendar)–now commonly celebrated on Jan 15th. Link has more details on traditions and foods eaten.   
> • The fourth day of this term is called Kanshiro ( 寒四朗)–lit. ‘clear fourth day’. A good weather on this day is a good sign, especially for wheat harvest.  
> • If it rains on the ninth day, the rain has a special name Kanyuu no Ame ( 寒九の雨)–lit. ‘rain of the ninth cold day’. The rain on this day is seen as a sign of lots of rain/water for the upcoming planting season ahead.


	6. Greater Cold 大寒 Daikan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter 冬 Fuyu  
> 01/20-02/03

The final hurdle of Winter was this last period of Greater Cold--the most arduous and freezing of all. Even more so than two weeks ago. The coldest time was always at the cusp of Spring, when the snow and ice were beginning their melting retreat into the streams. 

A long time ago, a doctor may have simply shook their head and said something along the lines of, “this ailment is beyond my abilities. If they survive past the winter, perhaps nature will grant them a chance to live.” Kita was grateful that, despite nature’s laws still hanging over everyone’s head, that archaic diagnosis was longer commonplace.

“Take your time, Granny, no rush.” Kita led his grandmother back into the house. It was a long day at the doctor with follow-ups. Kita asked many questions and got clarifications on anything he was unsure of. This level of detail wasn’t solely out of concern for his grandmother’s health, it was simply something instilled in Kita to begin with since his schoolyard days.

“Bye Sensei! See you tomorrow,” a few students greeted you as they dashed out the classroom. As a teacher-in-training, you were now back in classrooms. Funny, how you used to complain about sitting in those seats and listening to mundane lectures on knowledge that held little practical purpose aside from getting into a university. Ironic, perhaps.

The view from the teacher’s podium was initially an odd experience. You could see the expression on each student's face and their engagement levels in their eyes. It was certainly new. You would see that a student was definitely not paying attention, and toy with the idea that perhaps you should call on them.

There were also the “Kitas” in the class. Those who sat straighter than the chalkboard and seemed to know more about the material than you did. A long time ago, you would call them a teacher's pet; goodie-two shoes who managed to score perfect on each exam. As a teacher, you couldn’t help but adore them. After all, in a class of over twenty, these students were the ones who made you feel like you weren’t talking to ghosts instead. 

> _**The melting Snow  
> ** _ _**Remembers its past life  
> ** **And finds the way back to Water**_

“How was your day,” Kita asked while the two of you cleared away dinner plates. 

“You know, I used to wonder why teachers assign so much homework,” you groaned. “I still wonder that. It’s so much work! And teenagers are such little shitheads.” 

Kita chuckled. “You’re a teacher now.” 

“Doesn’t matter, it’s so much work. If only all my students were like you, ya know.” You nudged him with your shoulders. “I wouldn’t even need to correct your work, Mr. What’s-a-Failing-Grade.” 

“You’re just being silly now.” Kita laughed. “You know you love them already.”

You continued on. “I went looking for that crack you mentioned, the one by the window where you sat…” 

“Oh really? Is it still there?” 

“Mhm, I found it. But it was patched already,” you explained. You found the location Kita mentioned to you, and all that remained of that cracked windowsill was the slightly off-color filler used to patch the blemish. 

“As they should, the window couldn’t close properly.”

The two of you sat back down around the kotatsu. You had a stack of papers to look over and grade. He had two binders' worth of paperwork as well. 

“And yours, how was work?” You asked him. 

“Hm, I’ll show you,” Kita scrolled through his photos and showed you the screen. “I set them up with the other farmers in the area.” 

They were images of plastic tarps covering large, cylindrical greenhouses.

“Are they for the seedlings?” You swiped through the reel.

Kita nodded. “Once Spring arrives, we’ll nurture them first before they are moved to the fields. For now, we’re just getting ready. Later this week, I’m going to double-check on the irrigation canals with them.”

This time of year was a season of three cold days and four warm days. The weather fought arduously, struggling to climb out from the extreme cold. Every now and then, it successfully raised the temperature just slightly. And then a bit more. Once past this hurdle, it will be Spring. Then the seeds will model themselves in very much the same way. They too will cross hurdles and break out from the soil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • This is the last Winter solar term, next chapter will begin Spring  
> • During the latter, colder times of Winter, lots of foods requiring fermenting are made: sake (rice wine), soy sauce, miso  
> • An important food made during this time is [agar/kanten (寒天)](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FAgar&t=NGU1NmZiZDdlYmY5OWYxNDZiY2FlYWYwY2Q5MWM4ODIxNDZmYjI5Nyw0YzkxMTZkYmRjYjBlMjUzNDJhNzI3YTMwYTUxNWJlOTI0Y2U1OTc1&ts=1609257110)\--lit. “Cold Day”. Agar is a gelatinous substance from algae, used commonly in East Asian desserts. Production is a very [labor intensive process with strict temperature requirements](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tkfd.or.jp%2Fen%2Fresearch%2Fdetail.php%3Fid%3D237&t=MWYxMTMwMDIwNDM5YzY0ZmU5MWZhMjkwNzFjN2E4NmQwZWU1MThmYiw0ZmU2MzMwOTk4NWE0YWNmNWEyY2M2OTUzODAyOTRhYTBkZWQ0OTM5&ts=1609257110). Processing the algae is difficult and on top, the weather has to be dry and freezing. Tamba, Hyogo is one popular site for agar production.


	7. Beginning of Spring 立春 Risshun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spring 春 Haru  
> 02/04-02/18

The trees were still pretty much bare, but some plants decided they wanted to get an early start. Thus they stretched themselves out of hibernation. Many others decided that the time wasn’t right yet–better hit the snooze button and wake up when it’s warmer. The birds were also starting to come back. Every now and then, their songs would be heard. **  
**

At noon, Kita, Granny, and you sat in silence and each happily enjoyed an uncut maki roll. Kita told you that the ehō -maki, lucky direction roll, was a tradition unique to the Kansai area. This was the first time you heard about it.

“How did it come to be?” you asked. “Uncut just sounds like someone got lazy.” 

Kita shrugged. “Who knows. They spin it as good, uncut fortune. But, there are a lot of traditions people follow without thinking much about it. Some good and some bad.” 

“And some plain odd,” you added. “Why do we have to put little sardine heads on twigs outside?”

“To ward off evil spirits,” Granny explained. She entered the living room with a bowl of soybeans and a red ogre mask. 

Kita took the items from his grandmother. He handed you the angry-looking mask. “Want to do honors?” 

“I thought they only threw the soybeans at the temple fairs,” you asked, staring at the mask dubiously. 

“We’re in the countryside now, we do things at home and also at the temple. Hurry up, we’ll still have time to go see the performances.” Kita placed the mask over your face, then laughed. “Looks good on you.”

You raised the mask so you could see Kita a bit better. “I thought the head of the household does this sort of stuff. Shouldn’t, y’know, you or Granny do it? I’m not a Kita.” 

“Doesn’t really matter.” Kita lightly smacked your hand away and pulled the mask down. Your vision narrowed and your peripheral grew dark. You heard a light rustle and a voice whisper next to your ear. “Besides, you’re basically one anyway.” 

“Y-you,” you stuttered, growing embarrassed as Kita pulled you up to your feet. 

Kita ushered you towards the front door. “Chase the demons out for us, please.”

“Fine,” you huffed, still feeling flustered. Chase what demons, the real demon was behind you right now. When did Kita get this sneaky? Inarizaki and their foxes…You threw out a small handful of the soybeans and slammed the door shut. “Demons out, Fortune in!” 

You lifted the mask off and saw Kita holding his phone up, filming the entire scene. When Kita noticed the frown on your face and saw you approach him, he quickly ended the video and retreated. His footsteps were flighty and light. No wonder Suna always took pictures of everything. We do need some memories, after all.

> **_Demons haunting corners  
> _ ** **_Ogres that hide inside  
> _ ** **_Flee at the decree of Spring_ **

Even after the sun had set, the sound of distant festivities could still be heard around the neighborhood. Some children ran around echoing shrieks and laughter while tossing more soybeans. Granny had long gone to bed. It was just you and Kita enjoying the remnants of the night.

“Setsubun is so much fun!” you toasted, taking another sip of sake. The warmed alcohol and its special ginger note heated your body. 

Kita pulled the cup away from your lips. “No more for you. You’ll wake up hungover.”

“Come on,” you whined. You tried to reach for the cup, missed, and fell right into Kita’s lap. Kita watched as you pulled on his shoulder to steady yourself. He couldn’t help but enjoy how you looked like this moment and traced a thumb across your bottom lip. 

“You’re drunk,” he commented. 

You gave a quiet giggle. “I’m always drunk, Shinsuke.”

“Oh really?”

Kita felt you lean into him and wrap your arms around him. Your face snuggled into the crook of his neck. “On you, heh heh…always drunk,” you answered.

Kita pressed a kiss on the top of your head. “Likewise.”

There was so much Kita looked forward to. So much anticipation and excitement welled up in his chest. So much he couldn’t wait to share with you. He knew he had to be patient. Planted seeds don’t sprout into flowers the next day. However, the weather warmed up day by day. Every day he went outside, he could see the changes of Spring blooming. Soon everything would burst forth with fresh life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • [Setsubun (節分)](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSetsubun&t=OTcwZWVmMTQzZDQzYTc3YTlkNTgxMDEwZDAyMjEzOWU1N2U0YjExNyxidUhoalFpdw%3D%3D&b=t%3AcQRIKfNsnDmnaqhtyfDRow&p=https%3A%2F%2Fhaikyooot.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F638976775452557312%2Fseason-weather-07-kita-shinsuke&m=0&ts=1609375981) –lit.“season divide”–is usually celebrated the day before Spring, around Feb 2-4.   
> • [Common tradition](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.renshaworks.com%2Fjastro%2Fsetsubun.htm&t=MjBiN2EyNmNmOThhYzVmMzU0Y2RiNjNkMTljZjBmZDY3YTliYTI1ZCxidUhoalFpdw%3D%3D&b=t%3AcQRIKfNsnDmnaqhtyfDRow&p=https%3A%2F%2Fhaikyooot.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F638976775452557312%2Fseason-weather-07-kita-shinsuke&m=0&ts=1609375981) is mamemaki ( 豆撒きlit.‘soybean scattering’). The roasted soybeans are fukumame (福豆 lit. ‘fortune beans’). Some throw the beans amongst family, some throw it outside. Either way, it’s to chase out evil spirits & bring good fortune into the space.   
> • The uncut maki sushi rolls, sardine head talisman, and ginger sake are other practices that might be observed. There are regional & family differences too.


	8. Rain Water 雨水 Usui

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spring 春 Haru  
> 02/19-03/04

Except for the furthest North and the coldest corners, Spring was finally here. The raindrops continued to soften the land and coax it to come alive. 

“The fields are so fertile this year. I think it’s going to be good,” a farmer exclaimed, wiping some sweat from their brows.

“I believe so too,” Kita replied, handing out some drinks to the older farmers. 

“It’s a good year to start, Shinsuke,” another commented. “I remember my first year as a kid, the earth was so stubborn. The first plough was very tough.”

“Back in the days, we didn’t have machines like we do now.”

“Ah the days of cattle.”

For the past weeks and the foreseeable future days, Kita worked with the farmers to fix the partitions of the plots. Every corner was inspected. Certain pipes had to be fixed. And the soil had to be turned. It was the first time Kita drove the plough tractor on his own. The large machine was awkward to use at first, but there was so much land for Kita to practice on, so it wasn’t going to be a problem. It felt quite nice, going back and forth, and watching how the soil was tossed and turned. It felt like a new ritual.

Kita thought about the farmers’ conversation. He thought about the changes in technology and the climate. Botanists worked very close with plants, the meteorologist studied the weather from a station, and some other environmental scientists spent their whole lives writing code in front of a blue-screen. On the other hand, farmers lived out their days amongst the fields as watchful guardians of the land. Not all of them understood the scientific jargons behind many of nature’s phenomena nor recognize the formal nomenclature of the crops they grew. Some of them did, for sure. However, if you asked them about the earth and sky, they would be able to tell you a lifetime’s worth of stories on their most successful harvest and how the birds flew west after the sunset.

> _**The point at which  
> ** _ _**Droplets become Puddles  
> ** _ __**And Puddles turn into Streams**

“Duck-rice farming?” you repeated, unsure if you heard Kita correctly. 

“Yea, the farmers here have been trying out this method for a few years and it has worked well,” Kita explained. “I don’t have too many acres, so it’s doable.” 

“So no pesticides?” 

“It’ll be difficult to eliminate the usage completely.” Kita flipped a few pages in the brochure. “But there are lots of different options now. I have a few ideas. See here...” 

You put your work away and scooted closer to Kita. He began to point out the notes he made from his own research and after reaching out to different representatives. Kita explained the cost-benefit analyses he did, some of the knowledge on chemical safety he picked up, and even which types of ducks he thought about getting. Or how he considered also adding pond loaches or certain carps into this man-made ecosystem.

Kita did not realize for just how long he had been talking. It was an unusually lengthy, rambly amount. Outsiders would not hear Kita talk for such a long time unless it was a presentation of sorts. His voice was like the melody, accompanied by the falling rain outside. It was like this, back and forth. 

After the rain, sometimes during, Kita and the other farmers would go out to plough the land and loosen the soil. You smiled at seeing Kita’s softened expressions. Kita and the baby ducks. What a sight that’ll be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • [Duck-Rice farming system](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTakao_Furuno&t=ZTlhYmRjOTkyOGMwMzk0OTY3YWFmMmRlODI3MzU1ZTNkY2MxNmQxMyxiN2Y5ZDI3ODZlMDNiNTZiZmUxOTI1MmJjY2JlMmUxZmZjZGVjM2Fj&ts=1609544024) (aka Aigamo Method) was re-popularized by [Takao Furuno](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DSNR_3GeUoqI%26ab_channel%3DRighteousLiving40&t=Yzk5YzZhYzk5Y2JhZGU1YTA4YTQyMGUyYmNlYzNhNjc0OTA3NGIxZSwwOTFiMWNiYjZiNzU0MzY5MzZhYzI3ZTgxZjkzNWMwZmIyMzdhMzQ1&ts=1609544024), a farmer. The ducklings would eat weeds/insects, oxygenate the water by swimming around, and fertilize soil with droppings. [Rice-Fish farming](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Ffish.cgiar.org%2Fimpact%2Fstories-of-change%2Fresearch-underlines-potential-rice-fish-farming-myanmar%23%3A%7E%3Atext%3DA%2520rice%252Dfish%2520system%2520is%2Cadded%2520to%2520the%2520refuge%2520area.&t=MWU2NGIyMTVhYmUyNmEwMjY4OWVmNjI1NDAxZmJjMWRlZWMyZGZiOCxkYTk2ZGMyMDJlZDVkMGRjOTJjM2RmYjU5MzY1Y2U5NDRhZDVjMDc2&ts=1609544024) is another example of integrated agriculture. But regardless, rice remains one of the most difficult & labor intensive crops to grow.  
> • It’s not the best option or solution for every rice farmer(ie. if it’s terraced paddies, size, climates,etc.), but Kita + baby ducks. It’s happening.


	9. Insects Awakening 啓蟄 Keichitsu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spring 春 Haru  
> 03/05-03/19

Out of all the 24 solar terms, this was the only one that mentioned something a bit different. Nothing about the sun or rain. Instead, it specifically poured all attention to the small crawling critters that lay beneath the soil. It all started with the first clap of thunder this year — nature’s final call to all the lazy beings still in hibernation. 

“Shinsuke, there are snails and earthworms everywhere!” you complained one morning. “I’m a city girl at heart.”

“They’re good for the earth. Earthworms help loosen the dirt and add nutrients.” 

“But they can just stay in the dirt, why wander out where I can see them,” you huffed. “Good thing I’m not an elementary teacher. I heard the kids bring them into the class and…” You shuddered and Kita laughed.

Graduation was upon Inarizaki high. The trees bloomed with flowers, congratulating the students for their years of hard work. You watched as students hugged, kissed, cried. They took silly photos together. You helped them take some, and even got pulled into a couple others. How sweet and satisfying it was, as an adult, to watch the youth as they ventured off into the next steps of their lives. They were like the seedlings that have sprouted. 

The path ahead won’t be easy. Pain, suffering, joy, fulfillment all await them. They’ll be okay, however, you believed in each and every one of them. Each of them will have their own harvests and blooms.

“Thank you for the great semester!” a student exclaimed.

“Yea! We love you here and we’re so happy you’ll be a full-fledged teacher,” another gushed. 

You thanked them and held the tokens of gratitude close to your heart. Late nights correcting homework, days worried about their test scores, concerns over their mental and physical health…it was all worth it. Teaching was definitely your calling.

> **_As the peach tree smiles  
> _ ** **_Pink showers dance in the sky  
> _ ** **_And butterflies emerge from sleep_ **

“I’ve only been with these students for one semester,” you told Kita, blowing your nose. You folded the tissue and dabbed at your eyes. “Gosh, why am I even getting emotional. It’s not my graduation.”

Kita handed you another tissue. “Only because you care, and because of allergies. There’s a lot more pollen here than in the city.” 

You cleared your nose again. “Do you remember your graduation, Shinsuke? What was your Inarizaki graduation like?” 

Kita thought about it. A moment later, he found the memories. “Quite like what you saw. Lots of laughing and crying.”

You sat up alert and interested. “Did you cry, Shinsuke?”

Kita snorted. “Not me, it was the younger team members. Atsumu sobbed like a baby. If a stranger walked by, they would’ve thought someone died.” 

You never met Atsumu, but Kita told you so many stories of his teammates. 

“What about Osamu and the others? And your year? Aran?”

Kita recollected how Atsumu had attached himself to Kita and wailed ceaselessly. Atsumu apologized for all the trouble he caused that Kita had to clean-up and then begged for Kita not to forget about his juniors. Osamu berated his twin for making a scene, but Osamu cried too, furiously rubbing tears away from his eyes. 

Suna didn’t wear his heart on his sleeves like the twins, but Kita remembered Suna never put away his camera. Suna documented everything and made it his mission to capture the final moments of the team together. As for the rest of the group…

“Oh Aran cried! He could barely walk across the stage,” Kita exclaimed, laughing at the memory. Kita remembered how awkward Aran looked. He took forever. It didn’t help that the twins were screaming hype in the back row either. The teacher took pity and walked a few steps over to Aran instead.

“How come you didn’t cry then?” you asked. 

“I had to give the graduation speech,” Kita reasoned calmly. “I couldn’t cry.” 

You raised an eyebrow. “What’s that got to do with anything? People cry during speeches.” 

Granny laughed in the background. “Don’t listen to Shinsuke. He acted all serious on stage like an old man, but when we got home, oh, the tears just wouldn’t stop!” 

“Granny!”

Kita’s grandmother fondly remembered her grandson’s graduation. The boy always grew up quicker than others the same age. Mature, polite, intelligent. Yet at the same time, Kita was a very emotional boy under all those wraps. And he loved his team and Inarizaki so dearly. Kita’s grandmother would often find Kita flipping through old yearbooks and photos every now and then. 

Parting wasn’t easy. 

While working in the fields for the spring ploughing, Kita would chat about his team to the other farmers. Some of them had kids who were in or were going to attend Inarizaki. One of them was even on the volleyball team. The legacy of the team would always be there, documenting the buds of youth that come and go. 

If Kita saw a mention of the three rising volleyball stars that were Inarizaki graduates, Kita would stop what he was doing in a heartbeat. He would take a moment to simply relish in nostalgia and pride. Those guys were on his team, and he was part of theirs.

Once upon a time, they stood together on the orange court.


	10. Spring Equinox 春分 Shunbun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spring 春 Haru  
> 03/20-04/03

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: discussion/mentions of death/dying

The cherry blossom trees that came into full bloom quickly captured the attention of everyone. Your eyes would drift towards the trees during a lecture every now and then. Kita also admired the scenery all the same as he drove to the paddy fields. Although many of the earlier petals already covered the ground in a blanket of pink and white, the branches were still filled to the brim with fresh flowers. A gentle breeze would stir a dance of the petals to flutter into the air.

Kita’s grandmother held her hand out to catch a falling petal. Among the flurry of countless other flowers, this petal had nothing special. Its design matched all others—predestined. Yet unlike others, this petal fell into none other than the Kita matriarch’s aged hands. That made it unique. Had Kita’s grandmother not been at this spot at that very moment or extended her hand out in that second, this petal would have simply joined the blanket on the ground.

It’s quite difficult to explain objectively what made flowers so attractive. Perhaps it was the color, the shape, or the fragrance. People enjoyed giving flowers meaning and adding human qualities to them. Flowers were difficult to cultivate and required the utmost care. And most of all, flowers were rarer than they seemed. After all, the cherry blossoms would bloom for just these weeks only. Transient. Then the trees would seem like any other tree until the magic would repeat all over again. Yet repetition did not mean duplication. Every moment was different from the last. The flower admired one second ago was already lost in time. The second gaze would be unique from the first.

> **_Come next year  
>  When I bloom again   
>  Are we truly the same _ **

The vernal equinox was when the duration of the sun rising from the east and the duration of the sun setting in the west matched. Day and Night were in symmetry. The same. Nature found its belovedness in symmetry. There was something particular about symmetry and order that was in itself graceful.

It was in the late afternoon when you saw Kita’s grandmother looking at photo albums by the family altar. She made it a ritual to pray there every day. Kita also made sure to tend to the offerings and incense. The altar was probably the cleanest place in the already immaculate house. It was a corner that you did not touch or try to visit. In a way, you felt intrusive. 

Normally during the vernal equinox, Kita and Granny would have visited the graves, but it was decided that Kita would go alone instead. Granny would go visit later in the year conditional on her health. 

Kita’s grandmother did not say anything out loud. She would flip a few pages of the album, look up at the portraits that stood on the altar, smile, then continue flipping through old photos.

“Come here,” Granny called out to you. She gestured for you to come over with her hands. You took a few hesitant steps and sat down beside her.

“These were when I got married,” she said, showing a faded photograph. A young woman decked out in a simple refinery. The grainy image could not hide the shyness or excitement in her eyes. Next to her was a young man with similar emotions, and you concluded that his brows looked familiar. “And that is Shinsuke’s grandfather.”

“You two look so good together.” It wasn’t a compliment, it was an honest observation. 

Curiosity lit up in your eyes and you found yourself beginning to ask Granny about her youth and life. Granny was eager and quickly brought out more albums from the shelves, handing a couple to you to carry.

“Look at these ones.”

This was the first time you’ve seen what Kita Shinsuke looked like as a child. The sharp and strong lines you were familiar with were soft and covered with baby fat. It reminded you of fresh mochi: plump and squishy. 

You struggled to express the desire to coo and squeal at the photos. “That’s! He… Awww,” you gushed. If Kita were next to you right now, you would actually scream. Somehow you managed to keep your composure next to the elder. “Oh and this one! What was he doing in this one? How adorable…”

“Beyond words, right?” Granny nodded, happy and pleased with your expression. 

While you continued to look through the album with awestruck, love-filled eyes, Kita’s grandmother gave the altar another glance. Somehow a flower petal snuck itself next to the portrait of her husband. One day, she would join the rest of the family as a name on the altar. She loved her grandson dearly, but the one she called her beloved was waiting for her in the next world. 

In a way, Granny’s heart had long been split into two, torn between this world and the next. She wasn’t in a hurry, but should her time come, she would be ready. Upon seeing the love shared between you and her grandson, she had little worries left.

“I’m home,” Kita greeted as he stepped into the house. 

You picked up the album on the floor and rushed over to the main entrance. “Welcome home! Shinsuke, why did you not show me these! You were so cute!”

That was a good expression, Granny decided. Now if only that “Great Blessing” she obtained would manifest itself soon, that would be a great blessing indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • [Vernal(Spring) Equinox Day ( 春分の日) ](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FVernal_Equinox_Day&t=OTY5YzM3NGZiYzQ2MWNiZTU5NzdhODY4MDZlMjU0NjRhMjhlZjMxNixEUEg3SHpCTA%3D%3D&b=t%3AcQRIKfNsnDmnaqhtyfDRow&p=https%3A%2F%2Fhaikyooot.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F639440187413413888%2Fseason-weather-10-kita-shinsuke&m=0&ts=1609817809)is national public holiday. It’s a time to spend with family, self-reflect, visit graves, admire flowers, etc.  
> • [Transience/Impermeance](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FImpermanence&t=NDQyYmQyYzM2MTc0Zjk4ODg0NzAxYmEyOGE0ZWJlNmU5NTNmY2VmNixEUEg3SHpCTA%3D%3D&b=t%3AcQRIKfNsnDmnaqhtyfDRow&p=https%3A%2F%2Fhaikyooot.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F639440187413413888%2Fseason-weather-10-kita-shinsuke&m=0&ts=1609817809) are common themes in Buddhism. [Cherry Blossoms](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCherry_blossom%23Symbolism_in_Japan&t=NDczOGUxOWZkZTYxNWE1Yzg2YmM3NzIzNDA1YzhmZjc3OTdhYzMyNixEUEg3SHpCTA%3D%3D&b=t%3AcQRIKfNsnDmnaqhtyfDRow&p=https%3A%2F%2Fhaikyooot.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F639440187413413888%2Fseason-weather-10-kita-shinsuke&m=0&ts=1609817809) are a common symbol for transience in Japanese literature. An idiom that also discusses the idea is [Ichi-go, Ichi-e (一期一会) ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichi-go_ichi-e)lit. “one time, one meeting”


	11. Pure Brightness 清明 Seimei

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spring 春 Haru  
> 04/04-04/19

Mornings often arrived with faint streaks of light spilling into the room. They weren’t harsh or glaring, but rather gentle. You stirred when you felt the warmth next to you shift and move away. The faint warbling of the swallows could be heard from outside. Early-risers, they were. Too early. Still groggy, you reached out and tugged on Kita’s sleeve. “Don’t go, just five more minutes,” you murmured, dragging his arm towards you. **  
**

Kita leaned over and kissed your brow. “I have to go now, but I’ll make it up. Extra ten minutes of cuddling later?”

With your eyes still closed, you hummed, “make that twenty.” 

Kita laughed softly. “I’ll throw in an extra twenty, just for you.” 

“Who else would you dare give cuddles to, hm? No take-backs then.”

“Don’t sleep in, you’re a teacher now,” Kita reminded you, poking your cheeks. 

You swatted his hand away. “Forty minutes, you promised. Get outta here, go, go.”

Kita liked leaving the house first. He especially loved seeing your face in the earliest reverie when sleep still hung from your lashes. After making sure you were well, Kita had to go tend to the other life forms that also awaited his check-up. The seeds have been soaking in a water bath for over seven days and nights. The first day saw no change, but by the fifth, the eagle breast shape finally began to emerge on the body of each seed grain. The seeds have awakened and are ready for their next growth. 

The germinated seeds were loaded into the machine to automatically be implanted in the trays of soil and fertilizer. Kita watched, entranced, by the machine that did so many mundane tasks so quickly and so easily. The first part of the conveyor filled the trays with soil, another evened it out, rollers made shallow trenches, then finally seeds were automatically dispensed, safely tucked, and watered. That’s where the mechanization ended, however. 

It took the entire day and more for Kita to move each individual tray that held these precious bundles of life into their new home in the greenhouse. Under the blanket and beneath the tarps, each of the grains would have the most comfortable womb to grow in. As their caretaker, Kita would visit throughout the days to check on the humidity and temperature, adjusting levers and pipes so there was nothing too much or too little. A good harvest required a lot more calculations than others may believe. Optimization was key. 

The seedling’s growth wasn’t something one would see if they sat there just staring at the soil. Yet the difference a day later, two days later, a week later, was stark. Life was growing. And growing. Day by day, the sprouts of green grew broader, became thicker, and emerged. Much like the students from Inarizaki a few weeks ago, these seedlings would have their graduation into the real world soon too.

> **_Covered eyes, hidden ears  
>  Clear my heart  
> Quiet my soul_ **

It was a long day filled with after-class activities, meetings, and plenty of other busy work as a teacher. However, at the very least, the sky was no longer dark when you walked home. The last remaining blooms were mostly gone from the trees and fresh leaves were beginning to emerge. Flocks of wild geese traveled northward for their migrations. Their baritone cries echoed into the sunset. The air was crisp, and to join the party, a rainbow stretched across the sky. Its colorful band was like the most intricately woven fabric expressing love and joy. Even while walking alone, look and hear how busy the surroundings really were! Spring easily made itself known through its sights and sounds. 

You didn’t even notice how quickly you got home. By coincidence, Kita just arrived as well. He got out of the truck and went to gather the groceries he had picked up. You held your breath and slowly crept closer, making sure your footsteps were comparable to the neighborhood cat that would walk acrobatics on the fence. His back was facing you, perfect. 

One step.

Two steps.

The third step made a scuffing noise. You paused and waited. Kita didn’t notice, you concluded. Another step. You hopped over and covered his eyes with your two hands. 

“Caught you! Guess who?”

“Welcome home,” Kita said, reaching to remove your hands from his face. 

“Shinsuke, you’re supposed to at least play along and pretend you don’t know!” you complained, slipping your hands away. “Otherwise there’s no fun.”

Kita laughed. “Okay. Next time then? Or should we try that again?” 

“Whatever,” you mumbled, pushing past him to unlock the front door. 

“You have to be quieter,” Kita suggested. “I could hear you breathing a mile away.”

“Whatever, lah lah, doesn’t matter.” 

Kita prepped for dinner with you then went to check on his grandmother. He seemed to be gone for a while—probably taking care of other chores. The kitchen was empty and peaceful. The rice cooker whirred quietly in the corner, a pot of soup was simmering gently, and you were focused on the vegetables you were rinsing under the tap. 

You were humming a tune to yourself, a song that wormed its way into your head and stuck itself there. Suddenly, your vision went dark without warning. And another hand snaked around your waist, holding you.

“AH-” You tried to scream by reflex, but the hand around your waist shot up to cover your mouth. Your vision was still obstructed and all you could hear was the running water from the faucet. Adrenaline kicked in and your heartbeat pounded in your ears.

“Shhh, I caught you. Guess who?” a familiar voice said. “Don’t scream, you’ll scare poor Granny in the other room.” 

When Kita felt you relax, he let go, and commented, “that’s how you ambush someone. Try again next time.”

Flustered, you put some distance between yourself and him. “T-that wasn’t funny!” you stammered.

“Ah, really? I thought it was,” Kita said, amused. He nonchalantly went over to the stove and turned off the heat, pretending nothing happened. This was a lot more interesting than he had thought. Truthfully, he hadn’t expected you would actually not notice him coming into the kitchen or quite literally jump when he caught you. But this was fun. Really fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Cass (@soft-ris on tumblr) who came in clutch to help me rework the poem. Here's a little Bonus gag reel:  
> One day Kita found you trying to write a poem. Again, he ambushed you from behind, covering your eyes. This has become a favorite past-time of Kita recently.   
> “Guess who,” he asked.   
> “I dunno,” you replied, bored and frustrated. “Brain’s just poof…”  
> Kita raised an eyebrow at your lethargic response.   
> “Wait…” You slapped his hand away, turned and pulled Kita close enough to plant a sloppy kiss on his cheek. “You big brain. I-”   
> You scribbled the poem on the paper: 
> 
> Covered eyes, hidden ears  
> No thoughts  
> Head empty


	12. Grain Rain 穀雨 Kokuu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spring 春 Haru  
> 04/20-05/04

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Half way through the year~~ Summer is around the corner! Thanks all readers who've been around or just joined. I appreciate each of you ❤

The rain of this season was called “Grain Rain” for good measure. Rain was an elixir to grow life from earth and the one from this season was especially precious. At this time, the tea farmers were off in the fields finishing their main harvests. The first flush of tea should be picked and processed already. Additionally, the last batch of wheat harvests were brought in. For the rice farmers, like Kita, things were picking up speed as well.

Kita has spent days and weeks running between the greenhouse and the fields. Everything had to happen in the intended order. There was a window of time for optimal planting and it could not be missed. Make haste, but slowly. Although a number of steps awaited him, Kita could not move onto transplanting the seedlings if the seedlings weren’t grown to the proper height or if the paddies weren’t completely harrowed. Tillage was a process that could not be overlooked and would serve as the foundation for a planting season. Many things worked in this way. A house couldn’t be built if the foundation wasn’t laid in. An athlete couldn’t compete if their techniques were shabby. For Kita, all things worked the same way. Little by little, starting from the bottom then going up.

Errors were fueled by excitement because the anticipation would often lead to carelessness. For instance, there was the hope for seedlings to grow faster or the desire to win a point during a match. If the farmer rushed a seedling, pulling on it to make it grow faster, the seedling would die. If the athlete rushed into the match blindly to fight for a point, the defense would have holes and the offense would be equally sloppy. Even with the onslaught of pressure, Kita had to remain calm and focused. There was no use sprinting, if the runner was participating in a marathon. 

Tillage was a process that would take a couple weeks until near the end of May. The ploughed fields were filled with water and ploughed again and again. A specialty tractor was driven across the land, further breaking down the large clumps of dirt and dead grass. The straw had to be broken down, sufficiently mixed, and buried under the mud. The machine whirred loudly and moved slowly. Each run had to be thorough and this wasn’t a job that could be done quickly. The soil was broken down and saturated with water until a consistency of soft, soppy mud. There were no textbook descriptions of what it had to be like. An experienced farmer would simply know and they would have to show the new farmers.

> _**Last night the rain came  
> ** _ __**Today, seedlings grew  
>  When will Peony buds bloom?**

Just as Kita was undergoing plenty of preparatory work as a first-time farmer, you were also going through your own trials, finally, as a new teacher at Inarizaki high. Without another teacher to support and shadow, the reins of the class were officially handed to you. It was only a couple weeks into the first semester of the school year, but it felt like much longer. There were plenty of names and faces to remember, parents to meet, meetings to attend, lessons to plan... Everything seemed to hit you at the same time. But again, there was an order to this madness as well. There was the whole semester ahead of you, summer break, and the semesters after still. A whole year of marathon to push through.

After dinner, you continued working on marking the lesson books and creating lesson plans for the following weeks. A pile of homework sat beside you waiting to be corrected. Kita placed a mug full of steaming hot tea on a coaster next to you. No words were needed. Kita saw the small smile of thanks that came from your face when your eyes flickered over to the warm drink and then shifted back to the work you were focused on. The light shifted and you saw Kita adjusting the table lamp so your work station was properly lit up. Kita also took a seat adjacent to you to work on his stuff. And so the both of you worked together into the late hours of the night, with you expertly using Kita’s thigh as a footrest. As for how that came to be, that’d have to be a tale for a different day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Harrowing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrow_\(tool\)) is the process of breaking up and smoothing out the surface of the soil. For rice paddies, level surface will ensure even water distribution and the soft mud is good for transplanting. [Ploughing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plough) (earlier step) is much deeper.   
> [Here is one example of a contemporary rice farmer in Japan "puddling" or harrowing the fields in prep for planting.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sM_Wlym-LM) The process and timing would vary across different farmers, climate, and the state of the terrain.


	13. Beginning of Summer 立夏 Rikka

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer 夏 Natsu  
> 05/05-05/20

In between the spring rain and summer monsoon was this period of clear skies without extreme heat. It was supposed to be the best of both Spring and Summer. The good weather spurred the crops to grow quickly. 

Normally, this was the opportune time to bring out the futons, blankets, and pillows. These intimate items have collected some dust over the wintertime, so they had to be beaten and aired. The sun would lend itself to sanitize the fabric and their fillings. If this window of time was missed, the monsoon season would soon hit. And well, that wouldn’t be ideal.

Kita told you in the morning that he was going to go to the nearest city for the whole day for some business, and that he would bring Granny along with him. She has an appointment at the sleep lab for a diagnosis and would have to spend the night there. 

With Granny outside of the house, this was a good time to wash the winter bedding and prepare the switch to the summer futon and blankets instead. So, you hurriedly brought all the bedding out onto the drying line before heading off to school. It felt nice to be a productive and helpful member of the household.

“Oh the weather is weird,” a teacher said in the teacher’s lounge. “Did you know it might rain?” 

“Rain?” you repeated, trying to internalize what that meant. “At this time of the year? I brought out the bedding just this morning…”

“Gosh, good thing I didn’t do that today. I was about to!” another commented.

The first teacher looked at their phone again. “Well, the prediction said 40%, so they could be wrong too.”

Weather predictions. Accurate, inaccurate. It was the culmination of the knowledge humans have gathered from the natural world. There were already too many unpredictable events in life, so if weather could be at least somewhat predictable, that would be one less thing to worry about. However, there was also a common phrase called, “unpredictable weather”.

Before the end of the last class, the “prediction”, as shown on the screen, became 80%. The looming dark clouds told you that if you looked at your phone again in thirty minutes, it would say 90% chance of rain instead. Going through class quickly wasn’t going to help. You couldn’t just suddenly declare a free study-period and then bolt out the room. You tried to keep your concentration on the material and your students.

When classes were over, you rushed out of the building. A few faint droplets fell from the sky, but the ground was still mostly dry. If you tried, you could maybe make it. You hurried back as fast as possible.

Kita arrived back home and found you and the bedding half-soaked. He wasn’t sure why or how, but he felt impatient. He hadn’t felt this frustrated or angry in years. Kita Shinsuke doesn’t shout when he becomes angry. Arguably worse, he would be eerily calm.

“Did you not look at the weather report?” 

“Shinsuke, you’re back.” You whirled around while trying to bring another blanket inside. “Sorry, I thought that there shouldn’t be rain around this time of year. The morning looked good too, so-”

“It’s fine,” he responded. His voice was lifeless. It was not fine. Kita was irked and you felt extremely guilty. That was until he said, “shouldn’t have expected things to have gone well.”

That was when you snapped.

“Excuse me?! Look, I know I’m not the best at these chores and stuff. Sorry, okay? I’m doing my best still, and rushed back right when I could,” you huffed. Blood flooded into your brain. “Why do you have to say stuff like that?!” 

> **_While gardens erupt  
>  Scuffles, Storms, Spite  
> Patience—hold us tight_ **

Both you and Kita were drenched by the time the last piece of bedding was brought in. The soggy futon and pillows were now on a tarp that was laid out. Otherwise, the tatami mats would be absolutely ruined. The gods must have wanted to play a cruel joke. The rain stopped. If this was the endgame, why was rain even necessary?

Kita handed you a towel and began to dry his own hair. He saw how the droplets fell from the wet clothes that clung to your body. How the back of your heels was scuffed from rushing home so quickly. No matter how irritated he was, you weren’t supposed to ever be on the receiving end of his own problems.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. This was another time he apologized. Kita felt like he barely made up for the first apology when he decided to come back to Hyogo countryside without a discussion. He had no excuses. Kita berated himself for all the things he already did wrong. Grades, school, and a job…he excelled at them without much a problem. Why was it that he kept making mistakes in a relationship?

Kita’s apology soaked up any remaining grudge you held onto. It wasn’t that you forgave people easily, it was more of the fact that Kita’s apology was sincere and reminded you that you were not a saint either. You realized that Kita looked disheveled and sleep-deprived. Perfect Kita, who would always look polished, sharp, and prepared. 

You remembered that he had a long day today and that you saw a text from him saying that the car tire blew on the way into the city. Making sure Granny was going to be well-received and taken care of at the clinic couldn’t have been stress-free either. It was a difficult day for both of you.

“I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.” 

After the spontaneous storm of the day, the night actually found some peace and quiet. The summer futon was laid out in the room. Luckily it was aired a couple of days before already and fresh to use. Kita’s eyes traced over the silhouette of your backside. Were you asleep? Were you awake? Kita couldn’t tell. 

You weren’t asleep. Your mind was still muddied from the events of the day. Restless. Suddenly, you felt Kita scooch closer and press against your back. His arms draped over your body in an embrace. 

“Are you cold?”

You hummed a no. “It’s basically summer, how can it be cold?” 

Kita held onto you a bit tighter. “I love you.” The whisper rolled down your neck and tickled.

Kita felt your body shift and turn around. Your eyes were closed, but you snuggled closer to him, tucked perfectly in his arms. He smiled when you responded, “I know. I love you too.” 

Kita pulled the blankets over your shoulder. Don’t go to bed upset. Those were wise words Kita has heard from people around him. He applied it to himself, making sure that no anxious thoughts clouded his mind when it was time for rest. The same could be said with you, who was bound to him and him to you. 

The turning point of seasons were always marked with some changes and uncertainties. Weather had to figure out what to do. Season sometimes gave no directions at all. It could be a bit awkward at first. Some unpredictable events were bound to happen. Some miscommunications or misunderstandings…They were all in good nature still, as long as the Season and Weather ended up on the same page. The wheels would continue to turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • Usually, summer rainy season would be beginning of June to mid-July. Afterwards, it would become extremely hot. But, things happen.   
> • For people using futon bedding sets, there are usually two: for winter and summer of varying material/thickness.  
> • Traditionally, the comforter gets beaten with a bamboo stick to rid dust. UV would kill organisms you don’t want alive in the material. There are also arguments not beat the futon--bc spreads dust and damage the fillings (so use a vacuum). Especially in humid climates and tight spaces, airing the beddings out is quite important.  
> • I apologize to my own bedding I nearly destroyed without consulting the weather report. If only I had a Kita though.


	14. Lesser Fullness 小满 Shouman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer 夏 Natsu  
> 05/21-06/04

You looked outside the window and spotted the paddy fields that were slowly filled with dashes of green. It was a good, clear day. The water in the paddies rippled slightly from the wind and the seedlings swayed. The fresh sprouts were strong enough to be transplanted, but a lot of growth would still await them. A few other farmers were working hard on the weekends to continue planting the seedlings. Weekdays and weekends didn’t exactly exist in nature, so for many farmers, work really was endless, especially during planting season. By the end of the next solar term, all of the seedlings would be planted. 

During the past weeks, Kita also participated in the process of transplanting seedlings. The trays of grown seedlings were loaded onto a special tractor and a large wheel would deposit them automatically into the watery mud. The spacing was automatic and perfect, while the mechanical click-clack, click-clack was rhythmic and pleasant. After a few rounds back and forth, the finished fields were an aesthetic sight to see. 

A long time ago, and still in some parts of the world, this process would be back-breaking work done by hand. A rope was used for gridlines and bundles of seedlings were approximately tossed out into the watery fields. Then, each individual seedling was hand-planted while the sun shone over hunched shoulders and curved backs. Kita tried this traditional method on a small corner, for experiences’ sake. The soreness when he had finally stood up straight was the payoff of hard work.

> **Alongside Yamagata’s cherries**   
>  **In some time**   
>  **Their safflowers will also shine**

Kita drove the two of you to a different farm a few towns over. Loud quacking could be heard before the duck farm came into view. You and Kita were here to pick up crates of fertilized duck eggs. These eggs had about two or so weeks left. The truck was packed, since Kita was also picking up the crates for the other rice farmers he worked closely with. The incubation shed for the eventual ducklings was set-up already. The trip to and from the duck farm went smoothly. The drive was a perfect slot of time to enjoy each others’ presence during the busy season. You snacked on the cherries the duck farmer gave the two of you. Apparently, it was the first pick from one of their relatives in Yamagata. Since Kita was driving, you periodically fed him some too. 

“I heard that the boys’ volleyball club is practicing hard these days,” Kita commented while keeping his eyes fixed on the road. He deposited a kernel into a cup that became a makeshift trash bin. “Mmm, cherry’s good, a bit tart though.”

“Let me tell you,” you exasperated. “One of the kid’s in my class, I keep telling him that he has to do at least the bare minimum if he wants to keep playing volleyball. The boy is totally obsessed! I don’t want to be the bad guy, just please pass.” 

Kita laughed and recalled the study guides and study sessions he had to hold for the team members. Suna, Gin, Osamu, and Atsumu didn’t exactly have the same affinity for academics as they did for volleyball. Aran also lost a lot of sleep trying to help them out. Interestingly enough, Atsumu caught up on the subjects better than the others. Suna couldn’t be bothered, Gin had no patience, and Osamu was frequently too “hangry” to study. Atsumu on the other hand, upon the realization his volleyball rights were in jeopardy, furiously studied days and nights rather successfully—even if everything went out the window right afterwards.

“Have you heard from them recently?” 

“I have,” Kita replied. “Suna texted me the other day. He got scouted for a division 1 team, EJP Raijin.”

“Suna? Finally! Now all three have teams,” you exclaimed. Kita had told you that Miya Atsumu got scouted by the MSBY Black Jackals during his senior year of university. It was a fight between the division 1 teams who would appeal to the talented setter. Ojiro Aran was already an important offensive player for the Tachibana Red Falcons. It was just Suna Rintarou still floating around. While division 2 teams scouted out Suna, Kita had faith a division 1 team would see the middle blocker’s potential. Sure enough, an opportunity finally presented itself. You saw the corner of Kita’s mouth curve up, unable to hide his pride. “What about Osamu?” 

“Osamu is still working on a pop-up shop to start his own business,” Kita answered. “He’s been helping out at a restaurant to learn the ropes.”

“So the twins ended up doing very different things, huh?”

“Yea, but I’m not surprised at all. Osamu’s always loved food before anything else.” After Nationals that year, Osamu came up to Kita and asked the volleyball captain for some advice. Kita knew that the twins’ bond kept the two together. Through support and rivalry, the two were able to reach new heights others could not. But each of the twins were ultimately their own individual and had their separate paths. Osamu was ready to head off in his own direction.

“And what did you tell him?” 

The sky was beginning to orange as Kita fondly remembered what he told Osamu in front of the Inarizaki gym. “Don’t rush. A good meal needs small steps to prepare and big bites to savor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • Seedlings are planted about 20 cm apart and about 3 cm deep.  
> • [Video ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=IaK1mM1FfMY)of a rice transplanting machine. By hand, here is [another vid](https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=452&v=qHIKRwYe3Cs&feature=youtu.be).  
> •One of the indicators of this solar term is safflower blooms, but this [source about safflower production and dyeing ](https://nitta-yonezawa.com/en/benibana)depict safflower blooms as a later thing.  
> •Early batch cherries are usually a bit sour. Best cherries are usually around mid-June to July. Regional/climate differences are a factor.


	15. Grain in Ear 芒種 Boushu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer 夏 Natsu  
> 06/05-06/20

The sun was far from up when Kita decided to wake you. He considered whether or not to let you sleep some more, but if you missed the event, you would most likely be quite upset. He’ll try to wake you and if after that you decided to sleep in…well, then it wasn’t his fault then.

“Wake up,” Kita whispered next to your ear. He shook shoulders. “The eggs are supposed to be hatching, do you want to go see?” 

Kita thought it would take a few more rounds back and forth of coaxing and complaining. To his surprise, your eyes flew open and you threw the blanket covers aside. “Right now? Okay, let’s go.” 

Before you could rush to the car, Kita stopped you and held up the pile of homework you corrected last night. Ah that’s right, you wouldn’t have time to come back home to grab your stuff if you headed out to the farm. You grinned sheepishly and took the papers from him. Excited was an understatement, you’ve been waiting for this moment. The two of you sat on a low stool and crouched over the hoard of eggs under the incubation lamp in the duck house. Many of the eggs had small cracks in them already. The duckling would rest periodically before continuing pecking its way into the new world. One baby duck was especially eager to break free from its confines. You held your breath and squeezed Kita’s hand, marveling at the emergence of the beak and tiny head. Kita faintly remembered watching his grandmother tend to the baby ducks. He was still half-asleep at the time. This time, he was wide awake and next to you.

“Shinsuke, oh my gosh,” you gushed. “Look, that’s the first one.” The first duckling successfully broke free from the eggshell and flopped over onto the soft wood chips. Its feathers were still wet and flat. 

A tuft of dark brown covered the crown of the head and a black stripe lined the eyes to the beak. The second arrived shortly after, then the third, and fourth. Soon, the space was filled with a small symphony of chirps. Little round bodies frolicked around. The older siblings would crowd around the cracked shell of their younger siblings, encouraging their little brothers and sisters. One more peck almost there! Kita carefully stepped into the pen and began to examine the new young, checking for any abnormalities and unhatched eggs. At the same time, the tiny beady eyes focused on the features of a young man with silver hair tipped black. Mama. 

“I think they imprinted on you,” you pointed out with a giggle. “They’ll follow you everywhere.” That was a good thing. Kita would be the person leading the ducklings to and from the rice paddies after all. You got up and stretched your legs a bit. You and Kita noticed that as you moved about, one particular baby duckling followed each and every movement. When you twitched, it twitched. When you shifted over, it scurried next to you. 

“I think you just became Mama too,” Kita commented. 

You panicked. “Wait! No, no, no, you can’t imprint on me,” you told the duckling. You pointed at Kita. “That’s mama, you follow that guy okay? Shinsuke, will this be an issue?” 

Kita laughed and picked up the duckling. “No. Baby ducks imprint on their siblings too, they’ll stay in a group.” 

You cupped your palms and Kita gently placed the lemon yellow duckling into your hands. You could feel the way the duckling’s tiny chest puffed in and out, breathing on its own for the first time. It stretched its tiny wings out, fluffing it’s newborn feathers. In a few more days, the feathers would grow to be thicker and stronger. 

“Hey there,” you whispered. The duckling cocked its head to the side, listening attentively, it gave a loud chirp. Oh no, you’re in love. 

> **_When you’ll be gone  
> _ ** **_I’ll remember  
> _ ** **_Our first look and last glance_ **

Prior to the baby ducks, you’ve wondered why new parents and pet owners could not stop sharing photos of their babies. Please, the whole world has seen the baby ten million times and more. You could now conclude, it was still ten million times too little. 

“We’ve seen the baby ducks every morning already!” a student complained. “I thought we had a test.”

Another student raised their hand. “I don’t mind! I don’t mind at all!” 

Nice try. “Sorry, still having a test. Okay, just one more,” you insisted. “Look at this one!” 

You showed the students a photo of the ducklings’ first adventure into the paddy fields. Each plot was sectioned off so the ducklings wouldn’t venture off too far. The water and the seedlings were the perfect playground. The insects and insect eggs growing on the rice stalks served as the finest buffet. Ducklings maneuvered around the rice easily and their light bodies wouldn’t crush or damage the crops either.

After a few “awws” and “how adorable”, the class finally settled down to write their test. Technically you weren’t supposed to, but you couldn’t help secretly peer at your phone once more. Kita sent a few photos. The local elementary school was having a field trip to the rice paddies to learn about the origin of their food. Kita took a group around and showed them the whole process. The kids loved interacting with the ducklings that ran and waddled around. One of the photos was of Kita cradling a duck against his chest as he explained duck-rice farming to the school children.

“She’s looking at ducks again,” a student whispered.

“She’s a woman in love, what can I say,” another snorted. 

You tapped the desk harshly. “Hey, hey. Test time. Be quiet,” you warned before unabashedly staring at your new lock-screen again. 

They’re not wrong, though. Oh no you’re in love, indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll spare everyone from duck trivia lol, but I did end up watching a ton of baby duckling vids hahahahahah


	16. Summer Solstice 夏至 Geshi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer 夏 Natsu  
> 06/21-07/06

Today was a special day you had marked in your calendar well ahead of time. July 5th. Kita wasn’t really one to celebrate his birthday. He liked traditions, yes, but when the spotlight focused on him, he didn’t really care. Nonetheless, big or small, you wanted to show him just how meaningful his existence was to you. Whenever you brought up what he would want for his birthday, he always said, “nothing.” Truthfully, there really wasn’t anything material that Kita wanted or lacked.

“Should we go somewhere?”

“No, we’re still in the solstice,” Kita answered. “I want to get as much work done as possible while we have the most daylight.” 

You put your pen down. “You work too hard, Shinsuke.”

“Really? I don’t think so.”

“Let’s go to the fields together then,” you suggested before putting your books and papers away. “I’ll help out for all of today.” 

Kita’s eyes quickly lit up, and that’s how you knew that material presents aside, all Kita really wanted was a day well spent together. “Okay, we’ll be out past dinner though, I’ll let Granny know. Go get ready, I’ll pack us some food.”

You’ve been to the fields with Kita a couple times already. The road and sights to the paddy fields are familiar, but the seasons still continue to change the view every so slightly each time you visit. During today’s trip, lush, summer green covers the ground and trees.

The first task was bringing the ducks, already quacking impatiently, out for their meal. When Kita unlocked the gate, the hoard scurried out following after Kita’s lead. None of them paid you any attention at all as they followed the leader. What else could you do but whip your phone out to take some pictures and videos. You were trailing after the flock and didn’t even notice a lone stray trying to match after your footsteps. When all the ducks happily dove into the paddy fields for their buffet, it was Kita who nudged you and gestured at the expectant creature. You didn’t recognize the big duckling at first, but that particular glint and shine in its black eyes took you back to weeks before—the one newborn duckling that imprinted on you instead.

“Hi there!” You crouched down to get closer to its short height. “You’ve grown so big now!”

The duck ruffled its feathers and gave a loud quack before waddling its way into the water. While the ducks had their fill in one acre, Kita showed you around the other areas. The two of you examined the rice stalks, measured growth and checked for diseases. Some fields were drained and had to be filled with water. Others were filled with water and had to be drained. The ducks also had to be gathered and led to the next field, and so on and so forth.

It was probably a bit slower than normal with you around. Kita had to check on your comfort and explain things he knew already, but at the same time, Kita wouldn’t have it any other way. It was probably one of the best days out in the field, full of amusement, half of which was at your expense. For instance, there was your expression when a loach swam over your boot. Or the speck of mud on your cheek after you slipped. The thick, heavy waterproof boots were difficult and stuffy to walk in. You were almost waddling like the ducks getting from one place to another. And Kita also noticed how your eyes would wander around following dragonflies. 

The season of the summer solstice marked the days of the year with the longest daylight and shortest night. It was the evening already, but the sky was still clear and bright. A warm breeze rushed through the paddy fields, swaying the green stalks and rippling the water between the gaps. 

“Ah, nothing better than a meal and refreshing drink,” you exclaimed, sipping the chilled tea.

The grassy slope off to the side of the paddy field offered the perfect incline to sit and relax. It was also private enough for both of you to enjoy a nice dinner on the picnic blanket. The cherries of this time were the perfect balance of tangy and sweet. 

“You look beautiful,” Kita said abruptly.

“Huh?” You turned your attention over toward Kita and found him studying you. Kita was beautiful, you observed. You loved the way the saturated hue of the sunset bathed him in the light of the golden hour. That was how you looked to Kita too, except you couldn’t see how stunning you looked with your own eyes. 

Kita pulled you a bit closer to him, still entranced and enchanted. He carefully brushed away a few remaining specks of dust and dirt on your cheeks. His touch was so light and cautious, as if he didn’t hold back to this degree, you would vanish in an instant.

Kita doesn’t understand how or why you picked him over all other people. He thought about it less nowadays, but in moments like this he couldn’t help but wonder. Kita would think of himself as a provincial, normal person and especially average. Not gifted in any means and not someone who would stand out. Yet you, whom he adored, chose him. Chose to stay and be with him. If anything, Kita could only call it genuine luck.

“I feel like a mortal stumbling upon a divine being. How lucky am I,” Kita said. His amusement grew bigger when he saw how you raised an eyebrow and couldn’t decide between cringing or feeling embarrassed. 

“That’s the weirdest pick-up line, Shinsuke, it sounds so last century!” You laugh hysterically before quieting down to a small smile. You let Kita lull you closer. “I’m lucky too,” you whisper before Kita’s warmth and playfulness enveloped you completely. 

> **_Find me at sunrise  
>  _ ** **_Let us dance by moonlight  
>  _ ** **_Kiss me ‘till end of time_ **

The sky was finally beginning to darken and the sunset was finally starting to die down. Kita was cleaning up and loading the truck for the return trip home. Your fingers fumbled an envelope in your bag. You had wanted to give this to Kita earlier when the sunset was at its brightest. That would have been romantic. That was your plan at least, but Kita distracted you too much and you nearly forgot all about it until now.

“Shinsuke, here.” You handed the envelope over to Kita and nervously watched his expression. You nodded your head for him to open the envelope. Kita followed your instruction and carefully ripped the seal. He took out a sheet with black calligraphy running down the middle. To the right was a drawn ear of golden rice. You were quick to explain. “I wasn’t sure what I could get you! I know this year the rice will technically go with the other farmers and you won’t get your name on it, but maybe in future years or something, when we can fully control and expand our own farm, we’ll have our own brand on the rice bags and…oh I was also thinking maybe we can have a bow on the top too like the traditional paper rice bags, you know since it’s a premium rice! Also the-Shinsuke?!”

Kita barely listened to your ramble as his mind was entranced by the image and text. Kita gripped the paper tightly—lips tight and trembling. His expression swung rapidly between excitement, disbelief, and tears. 

“Our farm, you say?” Kita choked out in between sniffles and laughs.

“Well, uh,” you wrangled your mind for the right words. “I guess it’s yours since you’re the farmer.”

“No.” Kita hugged you tightly, leaning his head against yours. “I like ‘our farm’. One day, we’ll have this on each bag. That’ll be what people are looking for when they visit the shops.”

Kita didn’t let go, only swaying side to side slightly, holding on for a while longer.

“That sounds like a plan.” You leaned your weight onto Kita, supporting each other. If he wasn’t going to let go, you weren’t about to either. “Happy birthday, Shinsuke.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • [Summer Solstice (Midsummer)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_solstice) is when the Earth’s pole has its maximum tilt towards the sun. The result is very long days, and short nights (June for Northern Hemisphere, December for South).  
> • Past the date of the solstice, days will gradually start to get shorter and temperatures get hotter (end of monsoon season).  
> •In Kansai (where Hyogo & Kita is), there is a [tradition to eat octopus around this time](https://www.japanese-wiki-corpus.org/culture/Hangesho.html). Two reasons. Either the curl of the tentacle resembles a mature ear of rice. Or the expansive tentacles are like a firm, root system of a strong crop.


	17. Lesser Heat 小暑 Shousho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer 夏 Natsu  
> 07/07-07/21

In the Kita household, the large shoji doors leading to the garden have been kept open frequently during the past weeks. You found it quite enjoyable to laze around the engawa, admiring the birds flying about and the deep blue of morning glories. More often than not, you’d fall asleep in the midst of fanning yourself and wake up with a neckache.

The summer heat, oh please put the emphasis on the heat. The sun that was a gentle sunshine has now turned into harsh rays. Windows were almost kept open all day to circulate air. In rooms without air conditioning, fans were pointed outside because it was just simpler and better to suck the hot air from indoors and blow it out. While baby hawks learned how to fly and made their preliminary circles in the sky, lotus flowers bloomed in some of the garden ponds. The blooms occurred overnight while the temperature was a bit cooler. The next day when the sun woke the land, the pink petals were fully ready to embrace the light.

Today you were lazing on the tatami mat indoors instead. The natural woven grass was fragrant and cooling. In two days, it was going to be Greater Heat, but it was hard to imagine just how much “greater” the heat could possibly get if this season was already on the cusp of being unbearable. Cold-brew tea and watermelon became a constant source for quenching thirst. You laid comfortably on your stomach, skewering cubes of sweet fruit, and observed Kita play a game of go with his grandmother. As the game went on, the click and clack of the stones on the board were pleasant to the ears. 

> **_Rising from depths, lotuses bloom  
>  _ ** **_Hidden in trees, cicadas cry  
>  _ ** **_Facing the sun, asagaos say hello_ **

“The first semester ended yesterday,” you said into the air. You now laid out like a starfish while staring at the wooden beams of the ceiling. It sounded as if you were still trying to come to terms and understand what that meant.

Kita glanced at you from the corner of his eye before refocusing on the match with Granny. He picked up a white stone between his middle and index finger and laid the piece down on the grid line in a firm clack.

“I concede. I really am getting too old,” Granny mused. “I’ll have to challenge someone at the senior center tomorrow to boost my ego!”

Kita laughed and began to clear the board. “Go easy on them Granny!” He turned towards your form, still as a starfish, on the tatami. “Do you want to play a round?”

“Sure, I’m bored.” You sat up and took a kneeling position where Kita’s grandmother was sitting earlier. The go game board was a giant hunk of a wooden cube with a black grid of 19x19 on the surface. “I don’t really know the rules.”

“It’s simple,” Kita said, placing a black stone down on an intersection. He then placed four white stones on the four intersections surrounding the black. “The white stones cut off the four liberties of the black stone, so it’s eaten. If you had two black stones side by side, that would be six liberties, and require six stones surrounding to kill, and-” 

“I'm so not following. Better give me something like twenty handicaps, oof-” You shifted your bottom off your heels and stretched your legs out. “Not sitting like that, my foot’s asleep.”

Kita chuckled and also adjusted to sit cross-legged instead. “Just sit comfortably.” He took a handful of black stones and put them in a row on each intersection. “Let’s play gomoku, instead.” 

Gomoku, or five in a row. It was a simple game derived from using the go stones and board. There were no territory fights, kills, ladders, none of that. The only rule was that whoever could get five in a row first, would win.

“That’s easy! I go first then,” you said, taking the bowl of black stones.

“Sure.” Kita took the bowl of white stones.

Strategically speaking, whoever goes first has an upper hand. But four turns in, you found your current stone blocked while Kita’s stones began to slowly connect. You intercepted quickly. “Not on my watch.”

This was easy enough. You just needed to keep a close watch so Kita didn’t have three-in-a-row open-ended or four-in-a-rows with one end. If you missed either of those, come Kita’s turn and it would be game over.

“You’re pretty good,” Kita complimented as he put a stone down. “But it seems like I win this round.” 

How? You stared at the bored. Kita pointed a finger at a cluster you hadn’t minded, until now. You were so careful in watching what Kita was doing in one half of the board, you didn’t see that his arbitrary placements were actually connected. And now you’re in a death trap. If you placed a stone on spot A to stop him, Kita would win via spot B. If you tried to cover B, then A would be left vulnerable. 

You exhaled loudly. “Again! I’ll know next time.”

Five minutes later. 

“Again.”

Two minutes later.

“That was a slip-up! Again!”

Three minutes.

“Shinsuke, you’re so mean!”

Six minutes. 

Kita rubbed the stone between his fingers briefly before dropping the piece back into the bowl. “I lost,” he conceded.

“You see what I did there?” you beamed. You tapped the cluster and explained, “This was your tactic from the first round.” 

“Yea, like I said, you’re good at this.” Kita began to clear the board of the stones again. “Let’s take a break now, we can play again later if you’d like.”

“You should teach me the full rules for Go next time,” you said, putting the wooden lids onto the bowls. “But, earlier you totally could’ve won. You shouldn’t just go easy on me, you know.” 

Kita raised an eyebrow. “Really? Is that so?”

Later in the evening, the two of you played gomoku again. You never won another round. So, you exacted revenge through other means.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> • I think visuals are easier, from S4 E20. [Shōji](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoji), [Engawa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engawa), [Fusuma (not mentioned)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusuma)  
> • [Go game](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_\(game\)) is a board game originally from China, later gaining huge popularity in East Asia, and now worldwide. [Gomoku](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gomoku) is a “mini-game” that uses the same pieces, but honestly, it can get pretty intense too.  
> • Asago (朝顔) are morning glories. 朝= “morning” and 顔= “face/expression”  
> • [Seiza](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seiza) is a formal sitting position where you kneel and sit on the heels with legs folded/tucked under. The feet sort of cross into a v-dip “seat”.


	18. Greater Heat 大暑 Taisho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 07/22-08/06

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning: discussion of livestock slaughter

A warning was issued throughout all of Hyogo. Radios, newspapers, and television channels all reported on the onslaught of a heatwave.

“Excessive Heat Warning: The meteorological agency forecasts temperatures 35 degrees or higher to remain well into August. Please exercise caution outdoors and mind indoor temperatures. Elderly and young children should take extra precautions. Stay hydrated and replenish electrolytes. If you experience symptoms of dehydration including redness, nausea, dizziness, and vomiting, call local emergency serv-”

You turned the T.V. off and wiped sweat from your brows. The heatwave brought in this season has been all the news talked about. Some families splashed water onto the pavements to cool off the air. Industrial water trucks hosed down the streets as well. Still, the hot air was almost painful to breathe in. Kita put a sports drink down in front of you. 

You said a quiet “thanks” and saw that Kita was dressed in his normal work clothes. He had a wet towel wrapped around his neck to keep him cool.

“Where are you going?” you asked quizzically. “You couldn’t possibly be thinking about going to the fields today?”

“I won’t be long,” Kita said. “I have to make sure the ducks are okay. And check on the crops.”

“One day isn’t going to be that bad, there is a water tank. And the rice is strong enough.” 

Kita was already at the genkan putting his shoes on. “Last time we talked about the ducks, you were sad that they were going to get sold to the marketplace.”

“I still am! But Shinsuke, today’s too hot to be out there.”

Kita gave you a reassuring smile and a quick peck. “Don’t worry, I’m not staying out there for long. I already mixed the Pocari sweat, it’s in the fridge when you need it.”

Despite your best attempts to convince Kita to skip out on going to the farm, Kita was stubborn, and you could only watch him get into the overheating truck and drive off. You sighed and shut the door before going to check on Granny. Even the few moments by the doorway had your skin feeling hot already. 

The heatwave would send thousands to the hospital for heat strokes, and more often than not, the patients were all the elderly. As if the brutal winter wasn’t harsh enough, the summer heat raged with the equivalent hostility. The two extremities tested the strength of the lifeforce. One slip-up and someone would easily be dragged to the underworld.

You and Kita prepared for the heatwave well in advance. The air conditioner in Granny’s room was newly installed and working hard to properly cool the space around her. Water and electrolyte packets were in ample surplus. More watermelon was kept in the fridge. And most importantly, Granny wasn’t going to be left alone, because you were home during the summer vacation.

> **The wind is fire  
>  ** **Its breath--a flame  
>  ** **Tearing through**

You just finished calling the household of your last student to check-in on them, reminding them to stay safe during this weather. They all had a pile of summer work to do, but honestly in this sort of heat, surviving was a major chore already let alone solving equations and reading dense passages.

You checked the time and decided you should call Kita and check-in on him. It still worried you immensely that he was out in the fields at this temperature. While calling your students, you heard the sirens of emergency services in the distance. The blaring sounds made you all the more worried and concerned. Before you could select his quick-dial, you heard the familiar sound of keys in the keylock and rushed over to the front door.

“I’m back,” Kita groaned, shuffling inside. His drenched hair was matted against his forehead and his face red.

“Welcome back,” you said, quickly taking Kita’s bag from him. “Go sit, I’ll get you a drink.”

When you rushed back over with the cold sports drink, Kita thanked you and took one generous gulp of the next. You also brought out a new towel that was cooled in ice water and pressed it against Kita’s face while he replenished lost electrolytes.

“Thank you.”

“Thank goodness,” you muttered, switching the towel to the other cheek. “Stupid, stupid. Could’ve gotten a heatstroke, who would even be out in the fields. Foolish, I was worried.”

Kita smiled and leaned into your careful touch some more. “I’m alright, see? I’m back aren’t I?”

You huffed and continued chastising Kita in your head. “How are the ducks?”

“They’re doing alright. There’s plenty of shaded room so they could disperse. The water is cold, and I set up a water bath too for them.”

Kita saw how you didn’t respond and only nodded slightly. “Are you still upset over the ducks?”

You sighed and set the towel down. “Not really, anymore. I suppose I hadn’t really interacted or raised farm animals or anything like that, so it’s just a little hard for me to think of them getting sent to the marketplace, you know? But also, I know they had a good life here.”

“We could release them all instead.”

You shook your head, “Realistically, cost-wise that wouldn’t make sense either...maybe just keep a couple. All the loaches can be sold though, I don’t really care about them.”

“I’ll listen to you.”

“Okay, listen to me and go shower then. You stink.”

Kita laughed and reached out to capture you in a sweaty hug. He laughed even harder at your icky expression afterward. And so, the dangerous season of the heatwaves left the Kita household unscathed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • [Pocari Sweat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocari_Sweat) is a popular sports (electrolyte) drink that’s also consumed in HQ. It can come sold as in bottles, but also as powder packets you mix with water.  
> • [Uchimizu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uchimizu) is the sprinking of water onto the pavement for religious, cultural, and practical purposes.  
> • Heatwaves during this time are common. A recent destructive one was the [2018 Northeast Asia heatwave](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Northeast_Asia_heat_wave). It saw both extremes in high temperature compounded with flooding. Many casulties and crop destruction.  
> • The easiest way for crop destruction is extreme crackling of soil, which hurts the roots. The effects of a heatwave can also show up in following season fruit tastes and ripeness.  
> • Rice crops now should have developed ears already. The paddy is mostly drained for the remainder of the season. If ducks are left still, they will begin to eat the grain. Hence, at this stage, ducks are sold off to the market.


	19. Beginning of Autumn 立秋 Risshuu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Autumn 秋 Aki  
> 08/07-08/22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're at the beginning of the end! The count down begins now 😭  
> CW: discussions of death/dying, anticipatory grief

The hottest days were finally over as the season entered autumn. The leaves on the trees have yet to change color and the evening was still warm, but the dots of yellow in the waves of green rice stalks were clear signs that summer was over.

In the days leading up to the first day of Obon, you noticed that Kita was often lost in his own thoughts. You thought that it was perhaps the stress and fatigue from the preparation of the harvest happening in a few weeks. However, no amount of shoulder massages or back rubs brought light back into his eyes. All you could do was tell and show him just how much he meant to you, and wait. Finally, Kita shared what weighed on his mind.

Kita laid his head on your lap and concentrated on the way your fingers combed through his hair, just as Granny did when he was young. His lips trembled when he said, “I understand Granny is still doing well. She’s doing much better already and the doctors are very optimistic. But even so, one day she’ll leave me too, and Shin-chan will be alone.”

Your fingers stopped as you let Kita’s words sink in, but slowly resumed once Kita continued. “I think I’m having these thoughts because we will visit the family tomorrow. Sometimes, when Granny says she’ll take a nap or when I see her at the altar, I just...”

Kita stopped your hand and brought it in front of his eyes. With another hand, he traced your palm lines. “When I hold her hand, I can almost feel her slipping away from me. But if I hold on tightly, I worry I’ll hurt her.” Kita covered his face with your hand and you felt wetness against your palm. “I try to cherish each moment and stay strong. It’s all I can do, but it’s not enough. Time isn’t enough.”

You listened to Kita tell you how his grandmother single-handedly raised him. You knew of the general story, but this was the first time you heard so much more details. While the strongest person you knew wept in your arms, you felt powerless and all you could do was hold him close. 

After a long, difficult night, it was the first day of Obon. The first day was for visiting the grave and welcoming the visiting spirits of the family. Kita had asked you if you would like to come with them as he hoped to officially introduce you. If you said no, he wouldn’t have held it against you, but he was relieved when you told him you would love to. 

“Shinsuke, I’m ready to go,” Granny said, smoothing out the wrinkles in her outfit. She chose the nicest one she had.

You squeezed Kita’s hand and told him to get the car ready instead. “Granny, Shinsuke’s checking if the food and incense are ready,” you told her as you led her over to the car. You could understand what Kita had meant, Granny’s wrinkled hands felt soft and wilted.

At the grave, Kita went to fill a wooden bucket with water while you stayed close to Granny. Kita’s family were laid to rest close to each other. His parents and his grandfather. The three of you cleared the weeds and dust that accumulated on the stone. Water was poured over the tombstone and the dirt was scrubbed off. You brought out the fresh chrysanthemums and placed them in a vase for offering. Granny plated some of the family’s favorite recipes, and Kita lit the incense.

You watched as Granny asked her beloved how he has been doing. She told him that this year has been another happy year for her, just like every other year. She then took a moment to quietly talk to him in privacy and then also to her son, as well as daughter-in-law. She told them that Kita was doing well and they did not need to worry.

Kita greeted his grandfather too and also paid his respects to his parents. He told them about the upcoming harvest, about Granny’s health, and about everything he could think of to share. He hoped they would be proud. Finally, you felt Kita’s hand slip into yours as he introduced you to the family. Kita held on firmly as he said, “She is my significant other.” 

This was your cue to say hi. With palms pressed together, you greeted the other important people in Kita’s life. You told them how you first met their son and the coincidences that brought the two of you together. How you decidedly chased him down from Osaka to Hyogo, how he would make you laugh and feel like the luckiest person. Kita Shinsuke was the most hardworking and loving person you knew. Please don’t worry, you told them and asked them to entrust him to you. You promised that you would love and support him. Shin-chan would not be alone.

> _**Follow the lanterns  
>  ** _ _**We will meet again**  
>  _ _**Past the vermillion bridge** _

On the second day of Obon, some families had a priest come over for a memorial service. While the Kita family skipped out this year, the three of you still sat next to the family altar while having a vegetarian lunch. You listened to Granny tell you even more family stories you hadn’t known before, such as how Kita was terrified of goats as a baby. Or how toddler Kita decided to give himself a haircut.

Finally on the last day of Obon, the spirits of the dead were sent back to the other side. Granny stayed home, but you and Kita went out to enjoy the night time festivities. The local festival wasn’t anything big like the celebration in Tokyo. Or was it as magnificent as the bonfires in Kyoto, nor was it as beautiful as the floating lanterns in Hiroshima. However, the local festival was what Kita and you would call home.

“I never knew you looked so nice in a yukata,” you complimented, admiring the fabric on his figure.

“Really? Atsumu once said I looked like a yakuza head instead,” Kita said, remembering attending this festival with his team years ago. 

You laughed and clung to Kita’s arm. “A hot yakuza head then, what can I say?”

Colorful lantern lights hung overhead and plenty of food stalls lined the street. You enjoyed a taiyaki ice cream while watching the performers dance. With each beat of the drums and the flickering of the lights, the spirits departed back to the spirit realm. Their visit was over, and hopefully, they would leave content knowing that those left behind were flourishing.

Kita smiled at how the bright lanterns brought a gleam to your eyes. It was good to be alive and even if Kita said thank you prayers every day, it wouldn’t be enough to convey how blessed he felt to be able to introduce you and him together as “we”.

Kita leaned in for a peck and quickly licked the corner of your lips. “You missed a spot,” he said nonchalantly. You grinned and purposely dabbed a bit more ice cream on your lips. Kita took the invitation and kissed you deeply. With you, together, Shin-chan would not be alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • [Obon(お盆) ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_Festival)is a Japanese Buddhist custom to remember one’s ancestors. It typically lasts 3 days, beginning with mukaebi (迎え火, lit. “welcoming fire”), a small fire outside the house to help lead the spirits home. And ends on the final day with okuribi(送り火, lit. “departure fire”) and bon odori (盆踊り, “bon dance”).  
> • Different regions have their own variations/unique Obon celebrations, as mentioned in the chapter. It’s very diverse.  
> • Now, most of the festival takes on a less religious aspect and is more entertainment.  
> • [Taiyaki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiyaki) is a fish-shaped ‘cake’ with red bean fillings, nowadays some places use the shell to fill soft-serve ice cream.


	20. End of Heat 処暑 Shosho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Autumn 秋 Aki  
> 08/23-09/06

Humans have invented all sorts of tools to battle it out against nature, and developed various systems to combat uncertainty. However, each time, whether by disease or by fire, nature has cards up its sleeve.

“SHIT! Don’t you fucking DARE go outside,” you screamed, making a blind attempt to grab Kita’s arm in the dark.

Shadowy wisps flickered through the windows from the violently shaking trees and howling wind. The house was pitch black already, but still, ghastly shapes manifested across the walls. The whole house seemed to quiver. Loud clamours from falling objects outside were sudden and unannounced. The wind, no longer wind, now a vengeful spirit whipped through every crevice. It tore through telephone lines and snapped trees, and the heavens dumped all their spite down in heavy rain. Typhoons in the countryside were different from the city-truly a testament to how destructive nature could retaliate.

“But the-”

“To hell with that, Shinsuke. It’s fucking dangerous outside, so help me, damn it, stay put!” you shrieked back, tightening your grip on his forearm. You didn’t care that your nails were digging into his flesh, you weren’t about to let go. The roars seemed to burst into the house and gnawed away at your grasp of the situation. “We knew this was a possibility remember?” 

You and Kita knew the typhoons were coming. Both of you already stocked the pantry, checked the batteries, and mentally prepared. But nothing, no weather reports, no prior experiences could have prepared either of you for the calamity this year. The meteorological reports said that this year was "an anomaly", but wasn't that last year? And two years before? At what point did the phrase"another anomaly" become normal? And more importantly, why did it have to be right here, right now?

“Shinsuke?” Granny called from her room. “Don’t go outside, you hear? Are you two okay?” 

In ancient times, people thought that such catastrophes ought to be heaven's anger at sin. Whether or not this was true, who bore the burdens of anger? Who’s crops and means of living were the first to go?

“G-granny,” you called back. “I got him, don’t worry. Just stay there for a bit, I’ll get the lights.”

You harshly tugged the dazed Kita with you and traveled alongside the walls of the house. Your heart was beating wildly and all you wanted was for the noise to stop and a blanket to muffle yourself under. But you had to stay strong, for yourself and two others under this roof. 

“Shit,” you cursed under your breath, tripping over something hard in the dark. Kita steadied you. 

You tapped his hand and reassured you were okay, “Almost there.” After what seemed like an endless excavation in the dark, you finally reached the cabinet keeping the emergency box. This one had candles, flashlights, batteries, and a radio.

> **_Where did the paper boat float?  
>  _ ** **_No voice to be uttered—all gone,  
>  _ ** **_Swallowed by hungry ghosts._ **

Occasionally, the radio would pop in with a message or two telling its listeners to remain calm and stay away from windows, refrain from going outside...the buzzes from the signal were the only white noise to soothe a calm. You and Kita sat around the floor table, with half-formed thoughts trying to form some semblance of reason.

"Do you think..." Kita asked quietly, unable to finish the question.

It wasn't something you could answer. "I don't know, but we're safe and together here."

Kita lived most of his life with the certainty of perfection. As long as the proper parameters were put into place, the results were only to be expected. Kita was made up of the things he did every day, consistently, constantly. Over the years, he's been proven time and time again that despite the best preparations, the worst outcomes might still follow. And even if he had prepared for the worst, colloquially speaking, the realities were no less disappointing or frightening.

The loss against Karasuno in his last year of high school. The unexpected conditions of his grandmother. The uprooting of his new career in the city. And now the possibility of a whole year's labor dismantled in wind and rain.

There were many uncertainties, dissatisfaction, and anxieties clouding his thoughts in a frenzy. This was something the insurance prepared for, a possibility that anyone venturing out to the fields would acknowledge in the back of their mind. Financially, perhaps. But it doesn't mitigate the difficult acceptance that despite everything done right, things were still beyond control.

"We'll just have to wait and see," Kita concluded, closing his eyes.

The crops had pulled through extreme heat. He only hoped that the grains clung tightly and the roots remained grounded. He hoped that the careful attention he spent tending to the crops making sure they were in the best possible conditions, would be just enough.

In a wind that snapped trees with many more years of seniority, these rice stalks of less than a year old had to fight. There wasn't anything either of you could do, but wait and then wait some more. All the while, the taunting chants plagued the space around both of you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recent examples of very bad typhoons include [2018 Typhoon Haiyan](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-asia-storm-philippines-rice/philippine-paddy-rice-losses-from-typhoon-exceed-forecasts-idINKCN1LX03W) and [2019 Typhoon Hagabis and Faxai.](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/11/06/national/damage-japanese-farm-industry-faxai-hagibis-reaches-%C2%A5253-billion/) Typhoon season hits right before the fall harvest, so there really isn’t much recourse for replanting. Crop yield losses can be up to 30%.


	21. White Dew 白露 Hakuro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Autumn 秋 Aki  
> 09/07-09/21

By the time the new semester began, the worst of the typhoon was over. Every now and then, heavy rain and winds would still hit, but for the most part, the weather was more of a hassle than a legitimate obstacle. The permanent scars left from the typhoon took form in the snapped tree you would walk by on the way to school or the pile of glass from a broken car window that wasn’t cleared yet.

Construction workers and community volunteers were still trying to reverse things to the way they were before. Damages were assessed and reconstruction began again as the day-to-day tried to move back to normalcy. On the days with better weather, Kita and the other farmers began their work immediately.

Luckily, the crops persisted, but one of the older wooden sheds toppled over. The wood planks nailed together were shredded, and the tools inside completely in disarray or simply missing. As for the fields, any extra rainwater accumulated in the fields was drained, and the crops were inspected for damages. Grain ears were closely examined and losses were estimated. At the same time, Kita checked on the development of the surviving grains and mentally calculated the time left before the harvest.

As the time for harvest grew closer, the farmers had to be increasingly vigilant. The rice couldn't be harvested when the grains weren't mature yet, but if the farmers waited too long, the grains would all fall from the ear at the slightest touch, making harvesting difficult. With so many things to do, Kita simply couldn't afford to linger on the residual feelings left from the typhoon damages.

“First time farming isn’t it? You must have been quite alarmed.”

Kita sighed. “Yes. I’m still quite inexperienced.”

The farmer chuckled and patted Kita’s shoulder. “It gets better. This wasn’t the worst I’ve seen. At the end of the day, even if everything is wiped out, what do we do? We just continue to plant the seeds and farm.”

_Keep doing what we always do,_ Kita thought to himself, _Yes, that does seem right._

Even with uncertainty, despite all risk management and preparations put into place. The worst-case scenario could still happen, so what could people do? _I'll do what I need to do every day still, and take things in stride. Be upset if need be, but I won't dwell._

> _If I fell yesterday  
>  Scraped my knees and bled today  
>  I’ll still rise for tomorrow_

After an afternoon meeting with the other teachers, you were finally able to go home. The quizzes for the next day were printed and locked in a drawer. A large stack of uncorrected summer homework was shoved into your bag—do teachers ever _finish_ work?

_It's more like, thank goodness I can go home and I can start correcting these,_ you mused to yourself.

When you walked past the school gates, you heard Kita call your name from his truck.

"What...?"

"I finished early today, and figured you usually leave around this time," Kita explained. Once you shut the door, he started the engine.

"It varies, you know. What if you missed me."

"But I didn't," he quipped, earning a side-eye from you.

You and Kita briefly caught each other up on what happened during the day. There wasn't anything that was a particular highlight. You had no funny stories and Kita didn't have anything interesting. The conversation was more like a weather report over the radio. Informative and normal.

The autumnal color did not arrive in Hyogo yet, but the waves of barn swallows making their southward migration was the telltale sign of the changing season. They had spent spring and summer nesting around the fertile rice paddies, catching mosquitos, and nursing their young. Now, the swallow birds would spend autumn and winter in the warmer regions of Southeast Asia. You observed their small bodies and forked tails soar through the sky.

"The sunset's pretty today," you noted while leaning against the window.

Kita took a quick glance at the scene you were admiring before refocusing on the main road. The blends of orange and purple were no longer as vibrant or bright as the sunsets from summer, but the autumn sunsets had its own charm. Kita reached his left hand over and intertwined his fingers with yours. You squeezed back and continued watching the glows start to dim. Your hands remained connected all the way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing to offer, but swallow bird migration is pretty neat stuff.


	22. Autumnal Equinox 秋分 Shuubun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Autumn 秋 Aki  
> 09/22-10/07

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two more chapters left! And guess what, they are written and ready✌

You dialed the number on the slip of paper and waited for the line to connect. It took a while but the person on the other end picked up.

“Hello, this is Ojiro Aran speaking.”

“Hi Aran, it’s me. How are you doing?”

Aran immediately recognized your voice and switched to a much more light-hearted tone. “Hey! Doing well, today’s a rest day for us, so I don’t have any training. How are you doing? How’s Kita?”

“I’m doing pretty good, just hanging in there with the students.” You paused. “Shinsuke is quite busy these days.”

You told Aran how the harvest was right around the corner, so the farmers were all carefully watching the crops and waiting for the prime days to maximize yields. Just this morning, he had mentioned visiting the milling factory to check out the machines with the other farmers.

“Remind him not to overwork himself,” Aran mentioned. 

“Don’t worry, I will,” you reassured him. “So, actually, I wanted to ask if you will be free at the end of October? It’s the cultural festival at Inarizaki.”

“Oh yea! It happens around that time.”

“I was hoping to organize a reunion of some of Shinsuke’s teammates. I know it’s also around the start of V.League...and I don’t have the others’ info…”

You heard Aran laughing on the other end. “You know what, that’s a great idea. It’s been a while since I’ve been back. Leave this to me, I’ll go check-in with the other guys. And I’ll be sure to keep this from Kita too.”

“Thank you so much Aran! I hope training goes well.” 

“No problem, thanks for suggesting this idea. Then, I’ll be in contact soon.”

Aran was always so quick to pick up on your intentions. It wasn’t a surprise that Kita and Aran were close in high-school. The two easily understood each other. Aran conversed with Kita and saw past the latter’s esoteric methods. Kita found Aran as a close friend he could lean and rely on. Next to Omimi, Kita and Aran were honestly the three mature pillars supporting the other team members. You were grateful that Kita had Aran in his life. 

> **_How our paths have intersected  
> _ ** **_Could only be a matter of chance  
> _ ** **_If not, then by designs of fate_ **

In the blink of an eye, the autumnal equinox came about. It seemed like just yesterday you had visited the Kita family graves for the first time. Today, for Ohigan, you went to go pay your respects again with Kita, except Granny stayed at home due to a persistent cough. You and Kita scrubbed the stone tablets, laid out flowers and food, and caught Kita’s family up on recent events.

While you two left the cemetery, you noticed a field of red spider lilies. Graveyard flowers, as some would call them. They were flowers from the Underworld, supposedly, with poisonous roots. They didn’t bloom for very long, but because their time coincided with Ohigan, these flowers were thus named higanbana, “flowers of higan”. The wave of blood-red was captivating and haunting, and although you could not deny their beauty, sad thoughts inevitably began to cloud your mind.

“Let’s go to the rice fields,” Kita suggested. 

You tore your attention away from thoughts about the flowers. “Did you leave something there?” 

“No, but there’s something I wanted to show you.”

During the drive, you half-listened to Kita. Kita had sensed your discomfort and tried to fill the silence with conversation to distract your mind. Kita normally did not ramble, but if it helped ease your mind off your thoughts for just a moment, he would gladly speak of the weather. When the two of you got to a more comfortable, safer spot, then you could open up with more ease.

After passing a dense swath of trees, you got the first glimpses of the open fields and let out a quiet gasp. Kita pulled aside and studied your expression, committing it into memory.

When Kita first faced the same stretch of lands here, barren and withered in the winter, he had his own doubts and reservations. He was alone at the time, burdened, and uncertain. How was it possible that in the course of months, the same land would look the way it did now? 

“Shinsuke…” you said, trying to find the right words for the moment.

The corners of Kita’s lips curved up just slightly. “Incredible isn’t it?”

It wasn’t a wave of magic or a process transformed overnight. He had worked for this. Kita woke up every day with the intention of coming down to the fields and tending to them, acting as a steward facilitating the course of nature’s own design. Farming became his new ritual. Step by step, one day he looked up and saw the current scene. He had dreamed of sharing this scene with you for such a long time, but the real experience could not compare.

“Incredible barely begins to cover it.”

Waves. Golden waves, neverending, stretching on far beyond your eyes could see. Each of the rice stalks stood proudly. The gentle wind whistling through the stalks made them dance until the furthest point where the sky kissed the earth. Bountiful and full of life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohigan is a Buddhist & Shinto holiday taking place three days before and after the Spring and Autumnal Equinox. Like Obon, people may visit their hometown and visit family graves. One of the days is a public holiday too, so businesses close. It’s also a time for enjoying outdoor autumnal activities.


	23. Cold Dew 寒露 Kanro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Autumn 秋 Aki  
> 10/08-10/22

Kita ran his hands under the filtering machine, allowing the dried and polished rice grains to hit his palm and spill over his fingertips. Many children grew up with a weird habit of slapping rice bags in the supermarket. Others liked burying their hands into the rice as if they were playing with sand, and that would lead to a scolding from their parents. When Kita was a young boy, he also marveled at the rice his grandmother grew. 

Kita studied the pile of rice in his palm. The journey of these rice grains could be traced back to last year’s harvest. And the seeds of those plants traced back to the year before that, and the year before that one. Except, this rice won’t be for planting. Instead, they would make a journey to all sorts of places. It would wait on the shelf of some store, catch the eye of a shopper, and through water and heat, become nourishment for someone.

The person could be a young child, tasting rice for the first time. Perhaps the rice would become a porridge, serving as the last meal for another. The rice could be eaten by a mid-aged, single worker out in the city in solitude and existential loneliness. It was entirely possible that Kita’s rice would be consumed by all three of these folks and many more.

Kita would likely never meet the people consuming his rice outside of his own circle. He knew that. While he worked in the fields, tallied his harvest, rested and rose with the sun, Kita was content with knowing that somewhere out there, the labor of his work was making someone stronger.

Those people would probably not think of or consider the origins of the rice in their bowl, and that was okay. Kita remembered what Osamu had once told him about food. Even if someone did not sit down to eat with the intention of savoring taste and texture as one does in fine-dining, food was undoubtedly an integral part of someone’s day-to-day life. Everyone has to eat, in moments of happiness or in instances of despair. Just as the sun would rise and the moon would fall, humans could not part with food the same way they required water, sleep, shelter, connections, and all other necessities for flourishing.

> **_Where have you been?  
>  _ ** **_Sit and tell me your travels  
>  _ ** **_Then I will share mine_ **

The mornings were extremely busy times for Kita and the farmers. Work began around ten, which was quite late for farmers who were usually working at five. Rice had to be dry when harvested, but the cold dewdrops that accumulated on the crops overnight would only dry at ten under the autumn sun.

It could be said that the conditions for rice harvest required both the right season and the right weather. When season and weather found a window of agreement, the harvest could finally happen. Kita and the farmers worked quickly and the only noise echoing through the fields were the sounds of the tractors cutting through the golden waves. 

After the stalks were cut, they were sent into a machine to filter out the individual grains. Those grains were then hulled and polished according to the farmer’s wishes. Some rice would be brown rice. Others would be polished more into white rice. Some would be sent off to make sake. The majority was for consumption.

No matter how busy the farmers got, evenings were still for rest. The nights were getting chillier as autumn deepened in Hyogo. The air was clear and tonight, the moon shone brightly.

“It’s almost time for the persimmons again,” you murmured. “Almost a year since we’ve been out here.” 

You had your head in Kita’s lap. His hands repeatedly brushed over your back rhythmically, slowly. When you came over last year, the persimmons were just barely done drying on the cotton ropes. 

“Yea, almost a year now. A whole cycle of four seasons,” Kita answered.

You didn’t respond and continued to enjoy Kita’s touch.

“Do you ever regret leaving Osaka?” Kita asked. “I don’t think you ever thought about moving to someplace here.”

“I won’t say that I don’t think about what ifs,” you answered after a while. “But usually, it’s mostly out of relief. I wonder, what if I didn’t leave? What if I wasn’t brave enough to come here? What would we be?”

Kita remembered the bitter feelings he had swallowed down when he walked around his hometown alone. He occasionally thought about “what if” as well, but he usually stopped himself. He didn’t have the courage to think about those possibilities.

“I don’t know what our future will be like, but I don’t regret anything.”

Kita’s eyes peered down at you and your gaze met with his. “I’ll do my best so you can always say that.”

He was like the Season. You were like the Weather.

You beamed and a bright smile decorated your face. “We’ll do our best together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A tiny ode to how integral food is in hq as means of community, healing, growth, and love. Remember Karasuno eating after the first loss to Aoba Josai? The barbeque from the training camp? How Aoba Josai ate ramen after their loss? How Hinata called Ukai during the youth camp asking what he should eat? TEARS. It’s just...ALKFJEWKL  
> Anyways, this chapter basically concludes the story. The next chapter is more like a very fun epilogue. We’re almost there!!


	24. First Frost 霜降 Soukou

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Autumn 秋 Aki  
> 10/23-11/06

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: allusion to death & aging

Kita had asked if you wanted to drive to campus, but you insisted that the two of you walk instead. While you linked arms with Kita, the two of you admired the sceneries of autumn. The leaves were changing colors again, many of them in the midst of green and red. The first batches of persimmons and apples were ripe for harvest. You also made a mental note to take out the kotatsu soon. **  
**

“Kita!”

You and Kita turned around and saw a tall man running towards both of you. His blonde hair was pushed back in the wind. Another one who looked just like the one running, a twin, was walking nonchalantly with a few other people. You also recognized Aran with the crowd. Although this was the first time you’ve seen Atsumu, Osamu, and Suna in-person, you’ve seen so many photos, videos, and heard enough stories to feel as though you’ve always known them.

“Atsumu?!” Kita questioned in disbelief and turned to see a smug look on your face. Smart Kita immediately put the pieces together and understood the why’s and how’s. 

Atsumu gave Kita a tight hug and did not let go until his twin, Osamu, pulled him off of Kita. You recognized Aran in the crowd and chatted with him briefly. 

“This is Suna, Osamu, and that over there is Atsumu,” Aran introduced. 

You smiled and greeted them. “I know. Kita told me a lot about everyone.” 

“Good stuff, right?” Atsumu looked at Kita expectantly. “I was your favorite junior.” 

“Mostly,” you replied and shrugged before tacking on, “And then some more.” 

The old Inarizaki team toured their campus, chattering and teasing each other relentlessly about embarrassing moments. Occasionally, an argument would break out because they couldn’t agree on whose memory was actually accurate. Kita did not bother correcting anybody either. 

Naturally, everyone gravitated towards the gym. The doors were open for the cultural festival and events were set up inside. It did not have any semblance of the volleyball gym they were all so familiar with. It was alright; the nostalgia from the schoolyard was still there.

Kita took your hands in his. “I hope you’re not too bored,” he remarked. 

How could you be? Not to mention it was you who invited the team in the first place. This was the first cultural festival you participated in at this school. And you got to spend time with Kita and his volleyball family. You shook your head and squeezed his hand. “Not at all. I’m just happy.”

> **_Four seasons of your love and mine  
> _ ** **_Four scenes of smiles and sighs  
> _ ** **_One year, a glimpse of our lifetime_ **

A day began with a meal and ended with another meal. The Inarizaki team gathered around the living room space of the Kita household and continued their telltale stories. Atsumu boasted about his team. Suna talked about his own. Aran did not hesitate to let everyone know about how his team has been too. 

“And yet, all three of you are going to be on the national team together,” Kita pointed out. 

“We’ll make sure you’ll be proud and tell your grandchildren about us,” Atsumu boasted. “Didn’t forget about that promise, right?” 

Kita snaked a hand around your waist. “I didn’t forget.” 

“Shinsuke!” you swatted his hand away and left the living room in embarrassment. You heard Atsumu and Aran laughing loudly in the other room behind you. 

Kita already prepared most of the food with you in the kitchen beforehand. All that remained was the rice. You opened the cupboard and noticed the bin was empty. A familiar presence entered the kitchen. 

“Shinsuke,” you said without turning, still looking for a new bag of rice. “The rice is done, we’ll have to open up a new bag.” 

“One moment.” Kita’s eyes lit up and went to the closet room to bring one out. The bag was bare and had no brand markers. “I saved a few bags for us,” he explained. “Our first harvest.” 

“Perfect.”

The wash was measured and washed with utmost care. You knew the origins of each grain. How much blood, sweat, and tears had gone into making sure each grain found its way to come and be.

Dinner was served. Everyone thanked you and Kita for the meal and got ready for their first bite, eager to taste the product of Kita’s labor. One bite was all that was needed. 

“Damn it! I’m going to cry!” Atsumu yelled out before burying his face in the bowl to scoop more rice into his mouth.

“Good! There’s plenty. Eat lots,” Granny told everyone.

“This is really good,” Suna complimented before taking another bite. 

Aran smiled happily. “Kita, this is incredible.” 

“Kita,” Osamu interrupted, his eyes were shining. “Um, I’ve been thinking of opening an onigiri shop, as you know. Do you think…”

Kita smiled, “I’ll give you a bag to try out, let’s talk about it.” 

Osamu nodded fervently. “Please!”

You watched Kita’s anticipatory smile grow wider and brighter. He turned towards you and beamed. “What do you think?” 

You grinned back, taking in the tanned color of Kita’s skin, admiring the crinkle on his nose when he smiled, and the beginning creases around his eyes. You lost yourself in the color of his eyes.

“Beautiful.” Kita, the rice, and the atmosphere.

It was especially chilly outside at this time of the year. In a few more weeks, the kogarashi wind would mark the beginning of winter again. The wheel of seasons would turn and turn. With each revolution, you and Kita would age and eventually grey. It was unknown when the next time the Inarizaki crowd would sit together again. Each meeting would result in one meeting fewer. So, each meeting was unique and special, something to be cherished.

The atmosphere around the dinner table was warm. Lively and cheerful. It was simple yet bountiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s a wrap!!!   
> I had so much fun writing this series...It’s very much a self-indulgent piece that’s mostly me writing a love letter to nature, rice, and Kita. While writing, I was reminded of my grandmothers, both of whom I love and miss dearly (I’m lucky they are both in good health). Their life-stories are both so so incredible and their influences on me are very profound. I can’t wait to visit them once I’m able to.  
> Thank you all readers! And a very special thanks to those who commented, I love reading your thoughts and I look back on those kind words fondly. Thank you, everyone, for your support. <3


End file.
